About the San Fermín Festival

Pamplona, Spain July 6-14, 2010
Click here to see 2009 Tour Photos

According to historians the San Fermín festival was not born spontaneously but arose out of the conjunction of three separate fiestas: those of a religious nature in honor of San Fermín and which have taken place since time immemorial, the commercial fiestas organized since the XIVth century and the taurine festivals which were centred around the bullfights, also since the XIVth century.

The Running of the Bulls (aka Encierro de Toros)

The bull run, or encierro, is the most well known act of the San Fermín Festival and the reason why so many visitors make their way to Pamplona every July. Each morning runners race down the narrow half a mile stretch that goes from the Santo Domingo corrals to the bull ring where later that afternoon they are killed as part of the daily bullfight. A total of six bulls are "run" as well as six tame steer.

This dangerous ritual, which occurs every morning from the 7th and 14th of July, begins promptly at 8:00 a.m., though runners are advised to show up at least an hour prior. A few minutes before the race begins the runners entrust themselves to San Fermín and sing three times before the St. Fermin statue, which is decorated with the scarves of the peñas (=social groups). The statue is located on the Cuesta de Santo Domingo at the beginning of the route. The chant goes something like this (in Spanish, of course): "We ask San Fermín, as our Patron, to guide us through the bull run and give us his blessing."

At 8:00 a.m. sharp the first rocket is launched, announcing the opening of the gates of the small corrals of Santo Domingo, while the firing of the second indicates that all the bulls have left the gates. If there is a big gap between these loud booms, you know there might be trouble this morning!

The bulls take the following route: they go up the Santo Domingo rise and cross the Town Hall Square (Ayuntamiento) in order to run in line down the Calle Mercaderes. A closed curve leads into the Calle Estafeta, the longest part of the route (where you can watch from our balcony) which is followed by a small part of the Calle Duque de Ahumada, also known as the Telefónica stretch. This leads directly to the bull ring and is the epicenter of drama every year. Once all the bulls have entered the bull ring, a third rocket goes up while the fourth and final boom indicates that the beasts have gone into the bullpens and the encierro is over.

The run lasts an average of three minutes, which is prolonged if any of the bulls get separated from its pals. Although all the stretches are dangerous, the curve Calle Mercaderes and the stretch between Calle Estafeta and the Bull Ring are the most risky.

All sections of the route are overlooked by a large number of security guards and first aid assistants. However, the danger of the run has meant that since 1924 a total of 15 people have died and more than 200 been injured by the bulls. A Spanish man was killed in the 2009 encierro.

- You must be 18 or older to participate
- You can't go over the police barriers alongside the route (meaning if you try to go over the barriers, the police will push you back in unless you are about to get horned).
- You can't hide before the release of the bulls in corners, dead angles or doorways of houses or establishments located throughout the length of the course (=no cowards!).
- You cannot run the route if you're drunk
- Don't carry objects which may impede the encierro (i.e. backpacks, cameras, etc.)
- Don't wear clothes or shoes which are not appropriate for the run (Americans, don't wear your Tevas!)
- Don't distract or touch the animals in any way during the rounding up in the bull ring or during the Running of the Bulls.