The running of the bulls (In Spanish encierro or los toros de san Fermin[e]) involves hundreds of people running in front of six bulls and another six steers down an 825-meter (0.51 mile) stretch of narrow streets of a section of the old town of Pamplona.
The runs start with the release of a rocket, after which the bulls and steers are released onto the streets, and the “mozos” or runners start running. The run is a total of 900 yards (2,700 feet) and is only supposed to take about two minutes. The route is clearly marked by barricades that keep the animals from escaping into other parts of the city.
The run leads both the mozos and bulls into a bullring, the site where bull fights take place later in the day. The bulls that run through Pamplona’s streets are the same ones that are later killed in the fights.
It’s a risky event – 15 people have been killed during the event since 1910 and hundreds are usually injured. So far, three men have been gored by bulls and 1o have been hospitalized in this year’s festival.
Mozos who have fallen during the run are not supposed to get up, since there’s a higher chance they’ll be gored if they do. If the mozos are feeling too threatened by the bulls, they have the option of jumping behind one of the barricades placed along the street for the run.
Credit : Business Insider
Picture Credit : Google
