1.-
TAKE-OFF
At
8 o'clock in the morning, a firework is launched, in order to indicate people
throughout the route that the running is starting at that precise moment, two
or three minutes later it will all have ended.
2.-
DOORS OPENING
The
door of the stockyard is opened, as well as that of the runner-free area, a
space between the end of Real Street and the bullring. Two other doors will
be closed when the herd of bulls passes by, in order to avoid that some bulls
may turn back and start running in the opposite direction .
3.-THE
START OF THE RUNNING
The
running's cowboys, lead the heard through Payaso Eduardini Street to Real Vieja
Street, a horizontal part of the route, in which it is possible to identify
how the herd will behave during the rest of the route, in group or each bull
acting in a different way, this will depend on who leads the herd, a bull or
a bullock.
It
is a part of the route where the herd adapts to the type of ground and the bulls
follow the bullocks. It takes place between Payaso Eduardini Street and Postas
Street, in a SouthWest direction. It is up-hill with a slope of 3.1%.
In
this part of the route, bulls begin to act independently one from another, brushing
the fences, on the left side of the route and running behind isolated runners.
It takes place between Real Vieja Street and Real Street, in a West-NorthWest
direction. It is an up-hill with a 2.9% slope.
6.- FIRST PART OF REAL STREET
After
the herd passes the curve between Postas Street and Real Street, the bulls begin
to run in-line behind the groups of runners, who try to calm them down, usually
on the right side of the street. Here the bulls do not follow any more the bullocks.
It takes place from Postas Street to Leopoldo Gimeno Street, in Northwest direction.
It is down-hill with minus 1.28% slope.
7.- FINAL PART OF REAL STREET
In
this part the herd reaches the highest speed of all the route. The strongest
bulls, attempting to attack runners, overpass them, placing them in a very dangerous
situation. It takes place between Leopoldo Gimeno Street and Juan Olivares Street,
Northeast direction. It is un up-hill with a 0.55% slope.
Certainly,
it is the key part of the route, as the bulls, once they have entered into Estafeta
Street, usually after having crashed themselves against the fence in the previous
right-hand curve, run at a lower speed and in a pretty calm manner, as it is
a down-slope, thus making it necessary for the bulls to release most of their
weight on their front leggs, the weakest part of bull, what impedes them to
attack with all their strength. On the other hand, it makes it possible for
the runners to get very close to the bulls' horns, thus creating a human barrier.
It takes place in a Northeast direction, from Juan Olivares Street to Plaza
de Toros Avenue, with a 6.48% down-slope.
9.-
ENTRANCE INTO THE BULLRING
It
is one of the black-spots of the route, as bulls increase their speed in the
first part, due to its horizontality, while they successfully attack runners,
who are already lacking enough energy. .
The
entrance into the bullring posses a new risk: the blockeage that takes place
in the entrance tunnel, which has ocassioned severe injuries to runners over
the years. It takes place from Plaza de Toros Avenue to the center of the bullring,
with a down-slope of minus 2.07% .
Once
in the bullring, the "dobladores" and cowboys have the task of conducting the
bulls for locking them in the stockyard. The rest of runners wait until they
hear the 6 fireworks that indicate the bulls have been locked and, thus, the
running has reached its end.
586
meters have been run within two or threee minutes, two or three minutes full
of fear and nerves. San Sebastián de los Reyes is full of activity every August,
due to the Running the Bulls event, which is viewed by people from all over
the Autonomous Community of Madrid, and other parts of Spain, who come specifically
to enjoy this event, as they stand along the route. In order to gain a good
viewing postion, you need to be there several hours before the Take-off of the
running.