The Running of the Bull, San Fermin, Pamplona

The 'Running of the Bull'  is probably amongst the best known festivals in Spain and takes place each year from 7 July to 14 July in  Los Sanfermines, Pamplona.

The bulls start running each morning at 8am. It consists largely of young men who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up into the bull-ring. The whole thing usually lasts no more than two to three minutes and consists of a run of about 800 metres.

After the streets are cleared from the excesses of the previous night the runners gather at the bottom of Santo Domingo waiting to hear the first rocket to go off signifying that the bulls have been released.

Spectators must stay behind the double-fencing that line the route for their own safety and to also allow the runners some room to escape the bulls. Then the second rocket is let off to let everyone know that the bulls are now actually in the street and running. Once it begins there are many dangers to watch out for. As well as a 600 kilo rampaging bull running behind you at 35mph you must also watch out for other runners. Overcrowded runs can be a real problem at the weekends when the number of visitors doubles. If the bulls start getting close to you, start looking for the gaps in the fences to slip through or places to jump over.

Finally when you hear the third rocket going off you know that the bulls are safely gathered in the ring and you are safe from harm. If you have actually run against the bull in the past then you probably already know that it feels like the longest 3 minutes of your life. Once completed though its time to go and hit the bars which will be well and truly jumping by now to swap stories of bruises and bravado.