Planning for the Pamplona bull run

Photos courtesy of Grupo La Informacion

Running with the bulls in Pamplona is on many intrepid travelers’ to-do lists. Several Matador members have been there, done that, and have lived to tell the tale. One–contributor Michael Ward–even wrote about the experience, offering a beginner’s guide to bull running.

The Pamplona Bull Run, also known as the Festival of San Fermin, is held each July 6-14, drawing more than a million visitors.

Now, those of you who count this tradition among the experiences you want to have before you die have another resource to consult before you hit the ground running. The Spanish media company Grupo La Informacion has launched an English language website intended to provide information to novice bull runners to prevent injury or even death. www.bullrunning.com is a forum where experienced bull runners share their advice with new runners.

Start with the quiz that tells you whether you’re hardy enough to survive San Fermin. If the answer is yes, you can continue browsing through the clean, colorful site, which provides practical trip planning advice, including budgeting, lodging, and essential vocabulary (though I noticed “socorro” and “auxilio”– “HELP!”–weren’t among them!).

If you go to San Fermin this year and make it back in one piece, be sure to blog about your experience over in Matador’s community section!

Community Connection:

If you’re not the type to join in the run, you can still enjoy the San Fermin festivities. Check out Eva Holland’s “Armchair Travel: Running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain,” a round-up of some of the best books that have been published about this annual tradition. Eva’s list includes Ernest Hemingway’s classic, The Sun Also Rises.