I was excited to hear that my brother, Cpt. Dan, is considering Running with the Bulls this summer in Pamplona. He asked me for some tips around planning and execution, so I figured I'd throw my thoughts together and share them as a blog post, rather than confining them to an email thread.
When to Go
The Festival of San Fermin takes place annually in Pamplona, Spain from July 6 to July 14, with the Bull Run occurring every morning starting on the 7th at 8AM. You can certainly stay for the whole thing (time permitting), but I would suggest a minimum of 2 days. When we went, my wife and I took the overnight train into Pamplona, arriving approx 5AM, which was just in time for the day's Bull Run. It was interesting to see that many of the festivities and revelry was still going on from the night before. We then found good spots and watched the morning's run. Having traveled all night and unfamiliar with the surroundings, I found it prudent to scope out the actual run first, then do it the following day.
After the bulls run along the route, they enter into the Plaza de Toros de Pamplona. They then release a younger bull into the arena and allow spectators to climb in as well. The bull then runs around trying to mow down those unlucky enough to get targeted in its sights.
 |
| From Spain Vacation - Part II |
Even if you don't participate during the Bull Run, I would suggest doing this part as long as you are in a condition to climb over the wall. I did, twice! (More on this later.)
Where to Stay
Of course, with the popularity of the event, everyplace in the immediate vicinity of the town center was booked months in advance. So we wound up staying at Husa Noain Pamplona located near the airport. It's about a 15 min car/taxi ride from the Bull Run route, or you can take a bus if you can board the right one. Back in 2007, we got the room for through Hostel Planet for $166/night for one night (but with the global financial crisis, who knows what a room costs now?) The hotel itself was pretty nice and modern, so it gave us a chance to recover from the train ride.
Once you're settled, there are plenty of places to eat, drink, and be merry. I would however refrain from getting completely trashed prior to your run, as A) the police are very concerned for your safety and will kick you out of the run if you appear intoxicated, and B) alcohol usually slows down your decision making process at a time when every split second counts. Instead, I suggest getting a nice big pot of Paella.
The Actual Bull Run
Ok, so now that you've seen how it's done, it's time to actually do it. Here are some tips, in no particular order, to consider when doing the run:
- What to wear: white t-shirt and red bandana around your neck (sold everywhere in town)
- Footwear: The majority of the course is either cobblestone or concrete, so no cleats, and be aware of slippery spots.
- Pick your spots. I don't care how fast you are. The bulls are faster and will quickly overtake you. Pick a portion of the course you'd like to run for your life. Personally, I picked the final stretch that empties out into the arena. There nothing like sprinting full speed into the tunnel, and then finding yourself in an arena full of people screaming for you to "get the fuck over the wall!"
- Get there early. There is no formal "entrance" to the course. You just climb over/under the wooden fencing. The walls at some sections will get crowded very quickly and you will have a hard time getting to your planned spot. If you cannot find a way in, work your way up the course towards the beginning.
- Stick to the inside of turns. Remember, its harder for the bulls to turn on cobblestone than it is for you. Last thing you want is to be on the outside of a drifting bull and the wall.
- There are plenty of sites online that break down the actual course.
- Don't be drunk. The police are very very concerned for your safety. The last thing they (and you) want is to be a story on the nightly news, so they will take the necessary precautions to make risking your life as safe as possible. If they see that you are drunk, they will kick you out.
- Don't hold your camera/smartphone out during the run and try to tweet while avoiding a bull. They will probably kick you out.
- Any sort of jackassery is usually not tolerated. Only run in one direction. Don't be the jackass trying to do a salmon-swimming-up-stream impression.
- Once it starts, all you will hear is a roar of cheering and a series of ooooh's. It will be rather difficult to see when the bull is close until it's too late. Luckily for me, the police officer on the wall was kind enough to let me know when it was time to move my ass.
- Do the arena thing afterwards. Slap a bull on the ass. Just make sure that the guys on the left and right of you don't have the exact same idea and the exact same time, leaving you with no path to exit once you accomplish said mission. Otherwise, you'll get trampled like I did (twice!) Luckily, the other runners are pretty nice about it and will distract the bull while you get away.
I think that's me being trampled but I can't remember.
So that's pretty much it. Good luck and I hope you come up with some bumps, bruises, and a great story to tell everyone :D
