- The running of the Bulls is part of a week long festival to Saint Fermin which takes place each year from 6-14 July. The first bull run takes place on the 7th at 8am, and there’s another at the same time on each following day of the festival.
- According to historians the Running of the Bulls dates as far back as 1385, when bullfights first began in Pamplona, and it became a tradition to run the animals through the city beforehand. Many say the tradition officially began in 1591, when the festival of San Fermin, the livestock fair, and the bullfighting festival were combined.
- The humans who run with the bulls are called mozos. They traditionally wear white Trousers and shirts, with a red bandana around the neck or waist. Opinions are divided as to whether this is a nod to Saint Fermin’s martyrdom or that the mozos wear the uniform of the butchers who originated the event.
- Six bulls are let loose to run the course, but spectators will see more animals than that, as a number of steers are let loose as well. A steer is a castrated bull, meaning they are calmer and slower. They are there to mitigate the savageness of bulls when separated from the herd.
- Needless to say, it doesn’t entirely work. Since 1924, when records began, 15 people have died in the run, and countless others have been injured. The last death at time of writing was Daniel Jimeno Romero, 27, in 2009. He was gored in the neck and lung.
- Advice for mozos includes that if they fall, they shouldn’t get up but stay down and adopt a fetal position, because being trampled, even by all six bulls, is better than being gored, which is the most common cause of death during the run.
- The run is about half a mile long. The fence lining the route has gaps large enough for a human to escape to safety but too small for the bulls to get through. The average speed of the herd is 24 km/h (15 mph).
- What actually happens? Before the run, the mozos gather to sing a benediction. It is sung three times, both in Spanish and Basque. The benediction is a prayer to ask for the saint's protection. In English it’s "We ask Saint Fermin, as our Patron, to guide us through the encierro and give us his blessing". The singers finish by shouting "¡Viva San FermÃn! and Gora San Fermin! ('Long live Saint Fermin', in Spanish and Basque, respectively). At 8am a rocket is fired to signal that the corral is open and another when all six bulls have been released. A third when the bulls have entered the bullring, and the fourth signals that the bulls have been corralled and the event is over.
- There’s even an app for it. Pamplona City Council has released an iPhone app called Bull Run Trainer. It features tips and advice for the run, a virtual run feature, and stats on each year dating back to 1980.
- Needless to say, it’s controversial and there are people who campaign for it to be banned due to animal cruelty. Two days before the run, animal rights groups have established the Running of the Nudes which has been going since 2002. Wikipedia didn’t state exactly what that entails but one presumes it’s supporters of a ban running the course naked.
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