60 Fun Facts About Running of the Bulls

At what time each morning does the Pamplona bull run begin?

Before 1924 it started two hours earlier, and from 1924 to 1974 one hour earlier than today.

On which dates does the festival of San Fermín run each year?

It opens at noon on the 6th and closes at midnight on the 14th; the bulls run every morning from the 7th.

How long is the Pamplona bull-run route?

It crosses four streets of the old town and the Town Hall square before funnelling into the bullring through a tunnel.

How many fighting bulls are released in a normal Pamplona encierro?

They are the same six animals fought in the bullring at six o'clock that afternoon.

What is the job of the steers that run alongside the fighting bulls?

Six run inside the herd and three more follow to sweep up any bull that stops or turns back.

How many rockets are fired during a Pamplona bull run?

The first says the gate is open, the second that all the bulls are out, the third that the herd is in the ring and the fourth that it is in the corral.

What is the average duration of a Pamplona encierro from first rocket to finish?

Anti-slip surfacing on the famous bend has made the bulls faster and the run shorter in recent years.

Roughly how fast does the herd travel along the route?

That is about 15 mph, so runners can only stay ahead of the bulls for a short stretch before pulling aside.

From which street's corral are the bulls released at the start of the run?

The first 50 metres are an uphill grade where the bulls are fastest, so runners are barred from that stretch.

On which Pamplona street's bend, 'la curva', did bulls often slip before anti-slip surfacing was laid?

Since the surfacing went in, most bulls take the turn cleanly and are often ahead of the steers, making the run quicker.

The short final stretch of the route before the bullring is nicknamed after what former building?

'Telefónica' sits at the end of the last street, just before the tunnel into the ring.

Roughly how many separate pieces of wood make up the fence along the Pamplona route?

Where there is room the fence is doubled; the gap between the two lines is for medics, police and runners needing cover.

Why are the gaps in the wooden barricades sized the way they are?

Spectators must stay behind the second fence; the space between the fences is reserved for security and medical staff.

What is the minimum age to run with the bulls in Pamplona?

Runners must also run in the same direction as the bulls, not incite them, and not be under the influence of alcohol.

How many times is the benediction to the saint sung before the run?

Each rendition is sung in Spanish and then Basque, and the singers finish by shouting 'Viva San Fermín!' and 'Gora San Fermin!'.

Since which year has the pre-run chant to the saint been part of the tradition?

The Basque translation was added after the Spanish version only in 2009.

What do the red neckerchiefs worn by runners represent?

The white clothing stands for the saint's purity; blue is a common alternative to red.

What everyday item do some runners carry rolled up to divert a bull's attention?

Traditional dress is white shirt and trousers with a red waistband, or faja, and kerchief.

According to Wikipedia, how many people have died in the Pamplona bull run since records began?

Most died from goring; the last fatality was on 10 July 2009, and 50 to 100 people are injured every year.

What is the Spanish word for the dangerous pile-up of runners that can form at the bullring entrance?

The narrow entrance acts as a funnel; a runner died of suffocation in such a pile in 1977 and the first recorded blocking dates from 1878.

How many first-aid posts line the route on run mornings?

About 200 people, mostly Red Cross volunteers, staff them so a gored runner can be in hospital within ten minutes.

Until which year were women prohibited from running with the bulls in Pamplona?

Only five women have been gored since the ban was lifted, largely because runners remain overwhelmingly male.

For what reason was the Pamplona bull run cancelled in 2020 and 2021?

It resumed on 7 to 14 July 2022.

What is the name of the rocket that opens the San Fermín festival at noon on 6 July?

It has been fired from a city-hall balcony since 1941, and since 1979 the honour rotates through the council's political groups.

What is the name of the song sung at midnight on 14 July to close the festival?

Participants light candles and remove their red kerchiefs as the band plays; the closing ritual began in the 1920s.

Why was the Riau-Riau council procession dropped from the official programme in 1992?

Protesters had sometimes taken five hours to let councillors walk 500 metres; attempts to restore it in 1996 and 2012 failed.

How many giant figures parade each morning of the festival?

Built in 1860 by painter Tadeo Amorena, they portray four royal couples of Europe, Asia, America and Africa and stand about four metres tall.

What do the kilikis and zaldikos figures do to children during the parade?

Zaldikos are horse-and-rider figures; kilikis are caricature heads worn like helmets.

At what time is the nightly fireworks display held at the citadel park?

Fireworks at the festival are recorded as far back as 1595, and an international contest has run in most years since 2000.

In which year did the saint's ceremonies move from October to July, creating the Sanfermines?

The move let the church feast coincide with the medieval trade fair, when the weather was better.

In which year was Pamplona's first official bullring built?

The route has barely changed since 1852, when the ring moved to a site near the present one; before that the run ended at the 'castle plaza'.

Which position did the festival's saint traditionally hold in Pamplona?

He is said to have been beheaded at Amiens in France on 25 September 303, and is co-patron of Navarre.

How was Saturninus, who baptised the festival's saint, martyred?

Toulouse's Rue du Taur, 'Bull Street', runs where the animal is said to have stopped.

In which year were the saint's relics brought back to Pamplona, an occasion the city now marks annually?

Over the centuries the saint's feast, the trade fair, the bull run and the bullfights melded into one festival.

Which 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel made the Pamplona festival world-famous?

It was published by Scribner's in October 1926 and follows Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley from Paris to the fiesta.

Under what title did Jonathan Cape publish Hemingway's Pamplona novel in London in 1927?

That had been Hemingway's working title; he changed it to stress the book's moral theme.

In which year did Hemingway first visit the festival of San Fermín?

He returned many times until 1959, and the trip of 1925 with a group of expatriates became the raw material for his novel.

What is the title of Hemingway's 1932 non-fiction book about bullfighting?

He wanted a comprehensive treatise on toreros and corridas, complete with glossaries and appendices.

Which cinema pioneer filmed the Pamplona run as early as 1899?

Spanish public broadcaster TVE has shown the run live for more than 30 years.

In which 1991 comedy is Billy Crystal's character gored from behind during the Pamplona run?

A second unit shot the real run in Spain, then director Ron Underwood rebuilt the street on the Universal backlot for the actors.

Which 2011 Bollywood film uses the bull run as the final dare on three friends' bucket list?

Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the trio stop at the square, recover their nerve and finish the course.

Which Spanish town's bull run is considered the country's oldest, with documents dating to 1215?

The 1215 document asked that priests be forbidden from running; the bulls still cover about 5 km from a riverside corral to the ring.

Which bull run near Madrid is described as Spain's most popular after Pamplona?

It is held at the end of August; Navalcarnero's run, by contrast, takes place at night.

What is the Occitan word for the French Camargue-style bull run led by mounted herdsmen?

In Calvisson at least ten bulls are run behind twelve gardians on white Camargue horses, and no bull is deliberately injured or killed.

Which English town held a bull run for almost 700 years until it was abandoned in 1837?

Legend credits William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, who granted a meadow to the butchers on condition they supplied a bull every 13 November.

Which Mexican city cancelled its Sanmiguelada bull run after 2006, citing public disorder?

Salvatierra, in the same state of Guanajuato, picked the event up and calls it La Marquesada.

What animal replaces the bulls in Anchorage's annual 'running' held during the Fur Rendezvous Festival?

Rangiora in New Zealand runs sheep, Ballyjamesduff in Ireland runs pigs, and New Orleans roller-derby skaters play the bulls.

Which Navarrese cyclist is honoured by the mock 'Encierro de la Villavesa'?

The event began in 1984 with youths racing the first city bus of the morning down the route; the bus was diverted in 1990.

Which two F1 drivers chased 500 runners along the Pamplona bull-run route in their cars in 2008?

They drove for the two Red Bull-owned teams of the day, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

What protest event, backed by PETA, takes place in Pamplona two days before the first bull run?

It has been held since 2002 by groups who say the run is cruel and glorifies bullfighting.

How much does a mature Spanish fighting bull typically weigh?

Both males and females carry horns, and the muscular hump over the neck, the morrillo, gives the breed its profile.

Why does the colour red not actually enrage a fighting bull?

They react to the movement of the cape; the red is traditional and helps hide bloodstains.

What colour handkerchief does a bullring president show to pardon an exceptionally brave bull?

The crowd petitions with white handkerchiefs; a pardoned 'indultado' bull returns to its ranch and may live 20 to 25 years as a seed bull.

Which Roman general is traditionally credited with founding Pamplona around 75 BC?

He camped there during the war against Sertorius, and the town Pompaelo took his name.

Which club, the only Navarrese side ever in La Liga, plays at El Sadar in Pamplona?

Its name is Basque for 'health'; former Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia began his career there.

On which date of the San Fermín festival is the first bull run held each year?

The opening rocket at noon on the 6th kicks off the festival, and the runs then take place every morning until the 14th.

What is the traditional white outfit worn by Pamplona runners said to represent?

The red neckerchief completes the tribute, recalling the patron's death by decapitation; blue is a common alternative colour.

In which two languages is the pre-run benediction to Saint Fermin sung?

Runners close the prayer by shouting 'Viva San Fermín' and 'Gora San Fermin' before the rockets go up.

Which US cable channel broadcast the Pamplona run live from 2014 to 2016?

The coverage featured interviews with regular runners including former British bullfighter and author Alexander Fiske-Harrison.

Which roller derby team has run a mock bull run through New Orleans' French Quarter since 2007?

Skaters dressed as bulls chase the runners; the 2012 edition drew 14,000 runners and more than 400 'bulls'.