The running of the bulls

Famous all over the world, the running of the bulls is the most remarkable event of the Sanfermines and the event that made Pamplona/Iruña famous world-wide.

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Running of the bulls. Photo: EFE

At the end of the XVIIth century in Pamplona/Iruña, the bulls that were going to be fought at the bull ring got in the city helped by oxen and cowboys, going through the streets of the city until they got to the Castle Square, which was then used as a bullring.

The young lads got used to jumping into the route to see the bulls to the corrals. Although people got fond of this very fast, it was not legal until 1876, when the Festivities Committee approved it for good. The run ended already in the new bullring.

Nowadays, a few minutes before the running of the bulls starts, at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive, runners gather before the image of Saint Fermin, placed in a niche on the wall at the Santo Domingo downhill Street, and sing the Saint a homily.

Runners sing three times the same song: "A San Fermin pedimos por ser nuestro patron, nos guie en el encierro, dandonos su bendicion. ¡Viva San Fermin! ¡Gora San Fermin!" ("We ask San Fermín, as our Patron, to guide us through the Bull Run and give us his blessing. Long live Saint Fermin!")

When the clock of Saint Cermin Church strikes 8 am, the man in charge of the farmyard lights the firecracker known as the chupinazo and the running of the bulls starts. The moment of the truth...

The length of the run is some 815 metres. The run lasts for three minutes and a half on average.

A good runner should start off slowly when the bulls are neither too far nor too near and run like devil before they get too close. It is a tradition to run with a rolled newspaper in the hand, in order to keep the distance with the bull and to make your way through the other runners. The runner should run for a few seconds near the bull and get out of the route as cleanly as possible.

Once the runners are at the bullring, they disperse in a fan way and the bulls are led to the bullpens. When all the bulls are already inside the bullring another rocket goes off to tell the runners about it. A third rocket means that all the bulls are already in their bullpens and ends the run.