Running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain is a once in a lifetime activity. Here is the safest way to go about running while still capturing the memories of the San Fermin Festival.
Many people have asked about the secret to safety in Pamplona if you're going there in early July for the annual Running of the Bulls, so here you go...
First, arrive early - tardiness got you sent to the principal's office in grade school, and could send you to the hospital here! The course set out in Pamplona opens before 7am, so make 7am your rendezvous time on the course. Walk along it, which may take 5 to 25 minutes depending on the crowd, but familiarize yourself with the sections that have a fence, and those that are enclosed by brick buildings.
I suggest an area near a corner - you can see the bulls coming, and the corner forces the bulls to turn wide, so you can safely stay on the "tight" side and they'll swing past you.
Keep your eyes open, and run a small section of the route with the crowd, 20 to 50 feet is common, and 200 feet is harder simply because the crowd moves slower than the bulls. Know your "emergency plan" like a doorway to jump in or barrier to jump on. The easiest way to run if it's busy is stick one hand on the back of the person in front of you, and reach your other hand back to the person following. That can help keep you upright.
Taking pictures can be done easily before and after running with the bulls, but is all but impossible once the horns go - the people and the excitement will get to you and you are best to put your attention into your life and moving forward rather than trying to snap a pic over your shooulder and potentially trip.
If you fall, stay down and curl into a ball. The bulls are faster than you and will run past you before you know it, and it's easier to be jumped over than run into.
Knowing what day to run is another question. The first day or two are the most packed, and there is safety in numbers as the bulls will tend to treat bodies as an extension of the buildings and make for a path splitting the crowd; the downside is that because there are so many people, you may literally have to climb over others to get out of the way quickly. The later days aren't as busy, but then you stand out more, tempting people to run longer through the course and having a longer risk period.
Avoid the stadium if you can - this is not an area for the casual explorer. It is a big part of the San Fermin Festival, yes, however, you are in an enclosed arena with no way of getting out, and a few barriers to dive over to get out of the way. The bad part is that bulls have figured out that they, too, can jump the barriers.
Lastly, meet and greet the people around you - before, during, and after the run - this is a once in a lifetime experience and one you will treasure. They all have their own stories on getting to and partying in Pamplona the day or night before and can end up helping you stay safer, and make it easier to find your fellow travellers afterwards. The run itself is over before you know it, but the festivals in Pamplona last for an entire week - so enjoy yourself, join in with other locals, distant Spaniards and visitors, and share your own story.
Good luck!
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