Our Guide to Running with the Bulls at San Fermin

If you're going to the festival of San Fermin (what the Spaniards will call San Fermines), chances are you're at least thinking about running with the bulls. This is a world-famous event in which the bulls for the night's bullfight are run through the streets of Pamplona to the bullring as hoards of people run with them. Known as El Encierro, it has been featured in media across the world and has been occuring for AT LEAST a hundred years (and we say AT LEAST because that's as far back as injury records go). Gary Allan sang about it, Ernest Hemingway wrote about it, and it has even made it into Bollywood movies. It is known around the world as the true show of a man's courage and bravado, ranking up there with bullfighting and skydiving.

But what does it take to run with the bulls, and how should you do it?

Well, the answer the first bit is easy: not much. There is no sign-up, no waivers, and only loosely-enforced rules (for the most part) about attire and sobriety. You will every level of fitness on the run route. The only thing it really takes to run with the bulls during San Fermin is the commitment to do so. That sounds a lot easier than it it. If you find yourself running, you'll notice the building nervous tension all the way up until the bulls run past. Many people who think they want to run change their minds once they see the bulls running their way (they look A LOT bigger when they're running at you vs on the TV screen afterwards). Others will want to start running as soon as the first rocket (which indicated the bullpen has been opened), even though the bulls haven't even started running yet, thus keeping themselves out of any real danger. Yet others will stand firm in their position until the bulls are right upon them so they can have the most surreal exprerience of their life. Just know that if you decide to run, that commitment is actually the hardest part.

As far as how you should do it, well, that is the subject of much debate. Jack ran last year, but this was Jo's first time, so our know-how for this year was extremely limited. Nonetheless, as the festival went on, we became "running with the bulls mom and dad" to some of the people we met there, because we had more knowledge than them during their first run. So we thought we'd pass them on to you.

Our running with the bulls "kids."

1) Dress appropriately. This is number one, because chances are you are traveling with your running attire. One of the few strictly enforced rules is attire. We're not talking about the traditional white and red. We're talking about the type of clothes you wear. You MUST wear running shoes. Docks, boots, and sandals WILL get you removed from the course by the Spanish police. You also cannot have anything tied around you except for the panuelo and sash. If you are wearing a sweatshirt, you must wear it. If you are carrying a bag, it must be fully under your clothing. Hats are hit and miss with the police; some allow them, others don't.

2) Walk the route ahead of time, preferably the day before. The route is 850-875 meters (depending on your source) that traverses several distinct portions of the old city. Each part of the run has its pros and cons. Calle de Santo Domingo, where the run begins, is a steady uphill slope with high walls on each side. It is uphill, which means both the runners and the bulls are picking up speed. It is also potentially dangerous, as the bulls have not exhausted themselves from the run. Following Santo Domingo is the Ayuntamieto, or town square, where there is a gradual left turn. It is bordered by fences, so it's great for an escape route, and it is also extremely short (about 100 meters or so). Next comes Mercaderes, the road between the town square which ends at La Curva de Estafeta. It is also quite short, but ends with La Curva de Estafeta, a sharp right turn where the bulls often lose their footing. Following Mercaderes and La Curva is the Calle de Estafeta. This is the longest stretch of the run leading to the bullring. Sometimes an individual bull will get loose at the beginning after wiping out at La Curva, which can make for a dangerous encounter, but outside of that there is little to cause the bulls to spread out (although they do pick up speed). Following this is Telefonica (named for the old telephone exchange) which is bound by wooden fence and leads to the bullring. It gradually curves to the left and gets narrow at the end, both of which can catch runners off guard. Finally, there is the Callejon, essentially the entrance into the bullring. It is quite narrow and pile ups are not uncommon at the entry to the bullring.

3) Decide where to run. For beginners, the Calle de Estafeta is almost always a good choice. It is straight, decently wide, and provides plenty of opportunity to get against a wall and out of the bulls' way. We recommend starting 30-ish meters after La Curva so you can see the bulls coming and get the opportunity to actually run with them before running into a mass of people further down the road. Jack started at the town square last year, and it was not a great spot. People massed on the side at the last second and prevented a smooth run. We both started around the tribute to San Fermin at the Calle de Santo Domingo twice this year, and we thought it was a great spot for a second and third run. You can see the bulls coming without the mass of inexperienced runners (generally) (and you've got a decent chance of getting a good picture / ending up on TV!).

Our view before starting our first run on the Calle de Estafeta.

4) Sleep the night before. Plenty of people will stay our drinking all night and then go run. Don't be one of those people, especially on your first run. Sleep a solid 6-8 hours so you can be ready for the run (for the nerves more than the run itself, really).

5) Start at town square. This is the official entry point to the run. If you go straight to the Estafata or telefonica, you WILL get pushed off the route by the police. They usually start their sweep around 7:30 in the morning. We recommend getting to town square no later than 7:15. You can move to your prefered running spot after the police have cleared the route.

6) Listen to the police. If they tell you you can't run, you can't run. Try again the next day. They are not like American police. They will execute a writ of habeus grabbus and forcibly remove you without a second's hesitation.

7) Get out some nervous energy before the run. Jump up and down, do dynamic stretches, tap your hand with a newspaper. Everyone will be doing it, and, believe us, it will make you feel better.

8) Understand the rockets. There will be four. The first signifies that the bullpen is open. The run has not officially started yet. Many people will start running at the first rocket. Don't be one of them. The second rocket indicates that the bulls are out of the pen. The third is supposed to indicate that the bulls are in the bullpen at the bullring, but our experience was that it meant they were releasing the second set of steers (who collect up any loose bulls on the route). The fourth indicates that the run is officially over, and the crews will start to remove the fence.

9) Run when you see the bulls. Not when you see others running, not when the rockets go off, not when someone yells at you to run. Run when you see the bulls. That's why we recommend starting at the front end of Estafeta or Santo Domingo. In these places, you can see the bulls coming from far enough away that you can (more or less) safely start running and truly run with the bulls.

Some people will start running as soon as the first rocket goes off. Let them pass. They will be laughed at when they get to the bullring. Some people will start running because other people are running. Again, let them pass. You can hear the bulls coming, and you should be able to see them. That's when you need to start running. An exception, though: if the police are hitting you from the barricade yelling "Corre, Corre, Corre!" then we suggest you Corre!

9.B) Remember that the bulls can run the route faster than you. They run it in an average of 2.5 minutes, so you're goal isn't to run with them the entire time, but to run with them as they pass your stretch of the route.

10) Run on the "correct" part of the road. This is really a lesson learned than a formal rule. Think of the route as having five parts to it: the outside against the walls or fence, the middle of the street, and the space in between on either side. You want to run in that space. The bulls will run (more or less) down the middle, as will those who want to run on their horns. People will stand against the walls. Even if they intend to run, if they freeze, they will simply stand there. Some will just stand there so they can say they ran with the bulls without actually doing so. In any case, you will literally end up running into them and tripping. Running in the in-between space lets you run literally with the bulls while allowing you plenty of space to bail out of the run route with a decreased chance of running into another human being.

11) Avoid people. The truth is most injuries on the run are cause by people, not the bulls. Jack got dragged to the ground on our second run by a guy who tripped and grabbed his shirt on the way down. Jo literally ran into a group that was just standing on the side of the route instead of running.

12) If you fall, cover your head and wait for someone to tell you to get up. It's what the bullfighters do, and they're the professionals, so follow their lead.

13) Watch out for separated bulls! Bulls are herd animals. As long as they are together, they will keep running. Once one gets separated, though, all bets are off. The most common place that this happens is at La Curva when one bull takes less time to recover than the others and keeps running, but it can happen at any point in the route. If a bull gets loose near you, get out of its way, preferably by getting over/under a fence. If it charges you and knocks you down, stay on the ground with your head covered. They are attracted by the movement. There are men in green shirts with sticks called Pastores whose job it is to get the bull moving again. Let them do it.

14) Tie everything in a slip knot. There are videos (which are admittedly hilarious) of people getting dragged down the run route by their panuelo that got hooked on a bull's horn. Don't be that guy. Tie your panuelo and sash in a slip knot so that they will easily come off should a horn catch them. You can find these easily on YouTube. Along the same lines, don't thread your sash through your belt loops.

15) Make it to the bullring! Even if the bulls pass you, keep running to the bullring. The crowds will cheer for you, and you will be amongst your fellow runners! They also release younger bulls with capped horns into the ring for the runners to stare down. If you can, get close enough to touch one! Just remember: just because they can't gore you doesn't mean it won't hurt when they try.

We made it to the bullring!

16) Leave the GoPros in the hotel/hostel/AirBnB. It's a several hundred Euro fine if you're caught running with them, and you want to be focused on the run anyways. Plus, there's a good chance it could get broken if you trip, get tripped, or it gets knocked out of your hand.

17) Get any and every injury checked out by medical staff, regardless of how serious it is. If you trip and scrape your knee at home, you would use antibiotic cream on it, right? Well, you should do that at San Fermin as well. The route will be filthy dirty 98% of the time right up until they clean it before the run (about an hour beforehand). You don't want an infection to be the reason you can't make it to the next run!

18) Grab celebratory churros and coffee! You earned it! Personally, we liked Cafe Iruna for this (as Jack said, "If it was good enough for Hemningway, it's good enough for me!"), but there are several other places around. Once you're done with the churros and coffee, either go back to the party or, more likely, back for a post-run adrenaline crash and nap.

Churros and coffee at Cafe Iruna!

We both thoroughly enjoyed running each morning we were at San Fermin this year, and we discussed our runs both before and after so we could make the next one even better. Some people will tell you not to do it, but we both recommend it at least once, especially if you're at the festival anyways. If you're a woman, it is even more impressive because the run is dominated by men (Jo was one of the VERY FEW women we saw at the beginning of the route, and she waited longer than a lot of the men to start running, which resulted in some great YouTube footage of her in full-stride next to the bulls!). It will be one of the realest moments of your life, and you will likely be the only person you know from home that has ever done it. Watch out, though, because it can be addicting! One run leads to the next and next thing you know you're one of those guys/girls who run it every morning every year!