Bull running in Pamplona

On the face of it, dashing down streets and alleys while being chased by a herd of belligerent bulls seems like an idiotic concept.

But, like every year since 1591, thousands of thrill-seekers will head out to the Spanish location of Pamplona in July to do just this, and tens of thousands more will watch.

Sanfermines, which takes place between July 7 and 14, is a multi-dimensional Spanish festival. Although food and religion play a major part in the festivities, the event is most famous for the Running of the Bull.

Locals and tourists alike pack the streets every morning to witness the festivities. Competitors enter the course at 7.30am. They then face a nail biting half hour wait before the bulls are released.

Moments before the beasts are un-caged, the runners will chant to Saint Fermin, singing three times the words: "We ask San Fermin, as our Patron, to guide us through the Bull Run and give us his blessing."

And then, all of a sudden, spectators hear a might bang as the first of three rockets is launched, signalling the start of the run. Chased by their bovine nemeses, the competitors then hurtle through walled-off streets down an 825-metre course.

The route stretches from Santo Domingo corrals to the city's Bull Ring. Two herds of tame bulls will join the pack of six selected wild bulls to add spice to the proceedings.

Of course, being Spain, the bulls don't get off that lightly. The angry beasts will stay in the Bull Ring until the afternoon when they will fight – and lose – against Pamplona's finest Matadors.

But there's more to Sanfermines than bull running. The event is thought to have developed from three separate fiestas and is steeped in Spanish history and culture.

It draws influences from historic displays of religious worship but also builds on celebrations of bull fighting and commercial fiestas first introduced in the 14th Century. Sanfermines originally took place in October but the date was moved so as not to miss out on the hot, dry summer weather.

Pamplona may not be the easiest Spanish location to reach directly. But there are a number of airports in the area that handle cheap flights from the UK. In July, you can fly with no-frills airline Ryanair to Santander, Bilbao or Vitoria from about £30 each-way.

easyjet also flies to Bilbao although advertises slightly dearer prices. A number of full-service airlines, including Alitalia, Iberia and Air France also offer flights to Bilbao.

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Running nude through Pamplona

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Comments

[Javier]

You can also see more information about The Running of the Bulls at www.bullrunning.info.