The Running of the Bulls of Pamplona is one of the most renowned festivals in all of Spain, and people travel from far and wide to participate in this exciting event. Although ‘El Encierro’, or the Enclosing, takes place in many cities throughout the country, the most famous run of the bulls is held in the city of Pamplona in north-eastern Spain.

Thousands of people from all over the world travel to Pamplona to bear witness to this spine-tingling race, where people run in front of rampaging bulls in a cordoned off section of the town. The festival takes place over a week between the seventh and the fourteenth of July, with the Bull Run occurring every morning at 8 am. The activities begin in the corral at Santa Domingo where the bulls will be fighting later on in the day.

All of the runners are dressed in traditional white shirts and trousers with a red waistband and neckerchief. They begin with saying prayers and asking for protection from the statue of Saint Fermin, before a rocket goes off signaling the beginning of the run. The run is approximately 825 metres long, and takes the runners in the region of 3 minutes to complete. The runners take a short lead, and then a second rocket is fired to signal that the bulls are being released from the corral. Six fighting bulls and two large herds of bullock chase behind the participants in a run for their lives. Adrenalin is pumping, as the runners hasten to get to the bull ring where the animals will be cornered off.

The Encierro of Pamplona is not only popular with participants, but with spectators who flock from all over the country to witness the event. It is possible to stand behind the fences that mark the route of the Bull Run, although these spaces are first to disappear among the early arrivals. Overlooking hotel and apartment balconies are alternatives, with many people opting for the unhindered views from above. After the running of the bulls, the Plaza de Toros is alive with sellers walking around selling tickets to the afternoon fight. The arena holds 12,500 people and tickets typically disappear quickly.

The Running of the Bulls has been a tradition for many years, and is believed to have sprung from some boys playing and running in front of the animals in the seventeenth century. The youngsters would jump in front of the bulls to show off amongst each other, and eventually the first run was started.

The Running of the Bulls was immortalised by Ernest Hemingway in his novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’, where he wrote about the event. Since then, people from the far corners of the world have travelled to enjoy the run and the festivities that accompany it.