One of the most common mistakes made by first-time bull runners is not understanding the layout of the course and how the Running of the Bulls event unfolds. Every year, hundreds of people are thrown off the course before the run even begins because they line up in the wrong place. If you're planning to run with the bulls on part of Calle Mercaderes, Calle Estafeta, or Telefónica, keep reading to make sure you learn exactly what you need to do on the morning of your run.
Be early: You need to be at the bull run course by 7:00am, since the police will block access to the route by 7:15am. Give yourself more time than you expect you'll need to get ready and get to the location on the morning of your run. No matter where you're coming from, crowds can be challenging to navigate, especially on the opening dates of the festival and on any weekend date. Plan on it.
Lining Up in the Plaza Consistorial (Town Hall): No matter where you decide to begin your run with the bulls, you need to line up between the barricades in the Plaza Consistorial (Town Hall Square). Even if you plan on starting your own section of the run on Mercaderes or in front of Estafeta #50, for example, you need to line up in the Plaza Consistorial by about 7:00am. The police will check you there to make sure you're fit to run - sober, wearing proper running shoes and carrying no extra gear such as phones or backpacks. Next, at about 7:40am-7:45am, the police will break their line and release you to find your chosen starting point on the bullrun course. There will be two other police lines further down the route to help with crowd control, but by around 7:55am, you will be allowed to line up at any point along the run.
Finding Your Starting Point: Once the police line breaks at about 7:40am, you will see the bull runners proceed along the route. Now, you will choose the segment of the bullrun that you want to run. First, be sure to research the different sections of the bullrun here. Do you want to run Mercaderes, with its wide streets and its barricades to jump over? La Curva, with its potential drama? Estafeta, with its doorways to hide in? or Telefónica, to try to enter the bullring with the bulls? Remember that no one can outrun the bulls nor can anyone run the entire 825+ meters of the bullrun course. Choose your part of the run wisely.
If you plan on running with the bulls, it's vital to remember that participants are released onto the course before the bulls are let loose. While participants are released from the Plaza Consistorial to find their place along the route starting at around 7:40am, the bulls aren't released until 8:00am. This means you can—and should—position yourself on the segment of the bullrun that you want to run. Do your research and plan accordingly.
In summary: Every year, wanna-be bull runners get thrown off the bullrun course before it even begins because they line up in the wrong place. Do your research, know where the Plaza Consistorial (Town Hall) is located, and be there by 7:00am. Buena suerte!