The expression “Correr el encierro (Running, in the running of the bulls)” makes it pretty clear that this event means running a race. “A Running of the bulls” means exactly that – running against a pack of bulls. And today, what should be particularly stressed is the fact that a runner cannot suddenly decide to stop running and stand and watch the bulls as they pass by, inside the course. This action puts the runner at a risk and puts other runners at a risk as they try to run past or find some way of exiting from the course. And these runners run the risk of suffering an injury as they charge into the torpid runners or of tripping over or even receiving a goring to their backs as they fail to reach the safety of the fencing because of these passive runners blocking the way. And very often a runner will rebound into the middle of the course after crashing into these inert runners, which makes the action even more dangerous.
In the series of photos taken by Mikel Lasa on the 7th of July, 2012 in Santo Domingo, we can see how a young man in a blue sweatshirt stands still at one side without making any attempt to run. A bull almost catches him with a charge of its horns and another one just skims past him. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that that same bull might cause an incident further ahead arising from the same kind of situation.
