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1. SANTO DOMINGO: The adventure begins along
the narrow, canyon like confines of Pamplona's C.
Santo Domingo as the rocket is fired announcing the
beginning of the day's encerrio. It can be
dangerous to linger too long. You look around at
the faces in the crowd, not knowing what to expect.
A cheer goes up as the rocket climbs into the
summer sky. The lead runners inch further down
Santo Domingo towards the holding pen, but only for
a moment. Suddenly the mass of bodies stop in their
tracks and surge back up the slopping street as the
bulls burst forth from their pen full of nervous
energy. They quickly overtake the first line of
runners. The crowd parts to allow the steers
through to lead the way for the fighting bulls. The
adrenaline rushes, your heart
pounds.
2.
AYUNTAMIENTO & MERCADERES: The route
widens slightly at the top of Santo Domingo. You
race headlong toward the town hall if you are among
those lucky enough to have reached Ayuntamiento
Square one step ahead of the bulls, for the street
quickly narrows once again as you pass Mercaderes.
The bulls seem to slow, staying to the right along
the wooden barrier as they climb Santo Domingo, but
their pace is steady and hopefully they are still
running together. If you go down ahead of the
bulls, stay down. A runner was killed in front of
the town hall in Plaza Consistorial in 1995 when he
tried to get back to his feet to rejoin the
run.
3.
ESTAFETA: Once across Plaza
Consistorial, the route makes a sharp turn to the
right onto the famous Estafeta, a long narrow
street lined with shops, tapas bars and stores
whose doors have been barred shut giving you no
where to hide after the gate has swung close behind
you. Keep to the right of the bulls as you enter
the Estafeta. Carried by their own weight and
momentum, the bulls tend to drift towards the left
on the smooth stone pavers that line the street,
making it a dangerous game if you're in their way.
Remember, this can be one on the most dangerous
stretches of the run if a bull happens to go down
while trying to make the corner and is separated
from the rest. You may find yourself standing
between the lone, disoriented bull and where he
thinks he wants to go. You'll hear nothing except
the rapid pounding of your heart and for a moment
are unable to move. Thank San Fermin for the
shepherds.
4.
TELEFONICA: If you happen to make it down
the C. Estafeta ahead of, or with the bulls, you'll
find yourself and hundreds of others at Telefonica,
which leads to the corral and the entrance of the
Plaza de Toros. Here, the runners bunch up, ready
to lead the bulls towards the corral and on down
into the ring. Keep alert, for there is a good
possibility that one or more of the bulls has
become separated from the pack, increasing the
excitement and danger.
5.
CALLEJON: This dusty path takes you down to the
entrance of the bullring and the tunnel leading out
into the Plaza De Toros.. It is narrow corridor
that fills quickly with shouts and horns as both
bull and runner try to share the same space, if
only for an instant ,before spilling out into the
bullring. Try to keep your feet moving and don't
look back. There isn't time.
6.
PLAZA DE TOROS: Once you have passed through
the gate and are inside the bullring, break to the
left or right, keeping clear of the center of the
ring while the bulls head towards their pens on the
far side followed by hundreds of frenzied
runners.
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encierro
- "the running of the
bulls"
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