Not long to go ...
© Berta Bernarte. Los toros suelen ir agrupados en manada, pero lanzan peligrosos derrotes.
© Juan Ignacio Delgado. Si los toros van détrás de los cabestros su recorrido suele ser más lento.
This first stretch, of some 280 metres (about 293 yards) goes up as far as the Town Hall. It has always been considered the most dangerous stretch because on this initial stage the bulls burst out of their pen full of energy and are on top of the runners in a trice. To be more exact, it´s the third part of this stretch which is the really dngerous part. There is no protective fence on this part which leads into the small square in front of the Town Hall and so, there is no place you can duck into out of the way of the rampaging bulls. It´s vital to be aware of this fact so that you can calculate the exact place and distance that you plan to run.
Just at the starting-line there is a small nitch built into the wall which holds a small figure of San Fermin. Here, the runners who are bunched up in a disordered pack, chant a homily to the saint to entreat his protection just before the bulls are let loose from the pen.
