The running of the bulls at San Fermín is no joke. Running in this confinement can be dangerous, and doing it without following some basic rules can endanger the runner himself and the rest. Since the year 1900, in the last 123 years, 16 people have died in confinement, and two have done so so far this century: Fermín Etxeberria, a 63-year-old from Pamplona who died in 2003; and Daniel Jimeno, a 27-year-old from Madrid who died in 2009. Many others have been seriously injured as a result of the bullfights.
Veteran runners are well aware of the rules that must be followed from the moment the running of the bulls begins on the slope of Santo Domingo until the bulls retire, already in the Plaza de Toros. In any case, the Sanfermines are international festivals, visited by people from all over the world, and in some cases people without any knowledge of the minimum standards that must be followed are seen by the confinements.
This Friday, the 7th, the first running of the bulls of the 2023 Sanfermines takes place, at 8:00, with bulls from La Palmosilla. Pamplona City Council makes a series of rules and requirements available to those interested to follow before participating.
The City Council states that the confinement “is not for everyone”: it requires serenity, reflexes and excellent physical preparation. “Whoever does not meet these requirements should not participate. The risk is high,” they indicate.
The rules published by the City Council state that “it is impossible to do the entire running of the bulls”, so that “it is necessary to choose the section that is most suitable for the race”.
No one under 18 years of age is allowed to run.
It is essential, for your own safety, to wear the appropriate clothing and footwear.
You must participate free of objects that hinder the race, including backpacks, cameras, mobile phones, etc. This rule has become more important, since in recent years runners have been seen recording the race and even taking selfies.
The access of runners to the route closes at 7.30. The day of the first running of the bulls (7), on Saturday and Sunday, the closure will take place at 7.15.
The City Council establishes that those who want to participate in the Encierro must be located in the spaces delimited by the barriers of the Local Police, whose instructions must be scrupulously respected for the benefit of the safety of those who participate.
“It is not allowed, due to its special danger, to take shelter before the departure of the cattle in corners, blind spots, portals or establishments located along the route,” the municipal document states.
The participants have to run in a straight line, without crossing or stopping in front of the bulls and runners.
In no case or at any point along the route should the bulls be summoned, call their attention or touch them, a practice that has been seen regularly in recent decades.
Whoever runs the encierro has to anticipate the point at which he is going to retire and will do so on the sides of the route. “You should not stop suddenly or stay on the fence, in a portal or similar spaces, because it hinders the race and the defense possibilities of the rest of the participants,” they indicate from the City Council.
When entering the Plaza de Toros, the runner “will take refuge as quickly as possible behind the fence, leaving it free for those who come behind”. In this sense, it is specified that “it will not summon the bulls and will leave the arena clear for the intervention of shepherds and doublers”. Not surprisingly, six of those who died in the confinement have died in the entrance alley or in the Plaza itself. The confinement does not end until the bulls retire to the corrals.
