Run with the bulls
First of all, you need to know that you will not be able to complete all the half a mile (875 meters) of the run. Not because you can not run that long at a speed of 10 miles per hour. The problem is that there will be running along with you a little bit over 3000 people. And this is the hard part. So you need to choose wisely what part you are going to run.
Learn How to run with the bulls from local experts
If you want to learn more about how to run with the bulls, you can book a class with us and one of our guides (ex runner) will teach you all the insides of the run. Book here
Let’s start with the timings.
At 5:00 AM, 50 of our best city workers will start cleaning the route of the run. One hour latter 60 builders will start putting up (daily) the barricades. They have to be fast, so please don’t bother them.
Between 6:30 and 7:30 you can access to the route. There are only 2 ways to get in. One by the city hall, and the other by the central market in Santo Domingo street. I really recommend you to come in through the city hall, it is easier. Don’t try to be the smart ass in the group, you know the rules (No cameras, No sandals, No drunk people) At the entrance to the run it will seam to be chaotic, but trust me, there are almost 200 police officers (most of them undercover) taking care of these issues.
At 7:30 the police will allow go to their starting point. Well, here is a big tip, do not go anywhere. Stay ate the city hall square. Why? Simple, the first 500 people that go towards the bullring, will be guided outside the route. So stay there for a while. I know that you want to move, but DON´T.
About 7.30 the police and a politician, will walk all the route “checking” that the barricades are OK and that everything is under control. Just let them go.
7:45 is the moment to move. Go where ever you want, and warm up for this 15 last minutes.
At 8:00 you will hear one rocket. The running of the bulls have started. YES!!!!! Stay calm, or as calm as you can be. You will hear a second rocket, that means that the 6 bulls are in the street. It will take about 1 minute after the 2nd one until the herd reaches you. It is the moment to run. Once the herd over passes you, just let them go. Another important tip, please try to count for the 6 bulls. There might be a slow one.
Normally by 8:05 it is over, and it is your time to have a Chocolate with churros.
Let’s talk about the parts of the run
The route is divided in 4 different parts. And each one has a body type of runners.
SANTO DOMINGO (272 meters- 0,16 miles)
It is where the runners sing 3 times before it all starts. This part has a 10% of inclination, and has another extra handicap, there is barely no way out. This is the fastest part of the run. So you need to be a very explosive runner, you will go from 0% up yo 100% in one second.
FROM CITY HALL UNTIL DEAD MANS CORNER (134 meters – 0´08 miles)
The problem here is the amount of people. Everybody wants to rub Dead mans corner…. To top that, that corner is a 90 degrees turn that it is not too easy to do. Here you need to be used to jump over people. It is the more violent part of the run.
ESTAFETA (296 meters – 0,19 miles)
This street is an almost straight line. On TV it seams to be flat, but it is a bit up hill. You will need strength going up. It is the easiest part to be able to run really in front of a bull. It’s handicap, is that there is No way out. This means that if you are injured, it will take longer to be helped by the doctors.
TELEFONICA ( 114 meters – 0´07 miles)
This is the last part of the run, it will take you inside of the arena. This small part of the run, is where there are the largest number of dead people, injured people. It is the most difficult part of all the route. Please try not to run with the bulls this part. It is too dangerous. I have seen too many accidents in here.
