Location: Pamplona, Navarra

Description: While you are standing in the streets, waiting for the encierro to start, you can have a joke with your friends, if you are not scared out of your wits. Most people try and pray, calm themselves, and reserve their energy.

These valientes were seen joking in the encierro.

Location: El callejón, Plaza De Toros, Pamplona, Navarra
Description: These guys are the valientes, the “brave ones”. The people who end up in the plaza de toros (the bullring) before the bulls have even been released into the streets.

These guys are always booed as they run through the streets, scared there may be a bull within sniffing distance.

A quote from a Keko Jones article published in Graeme Galloway’s infamous “No Bullshit Fanzine 2000″

“There are runners known as los valientes, “the brave ones.” These are the “wannabes,” and they are to be found throughout the course. To hear them talk, you would think they are the most heroic of runners. In practice, they have little heart for it, and they flee toward the relative safety of the bullring immediately upon hearing the rocket, rarely seeing or nearing a bull if they can help it. A mindless, churning mass of frightened young men, they immediately took up their flight at top speed; their greatest danger being to themselves.”

The police seperate runners into different groups, which makes it easier for the police, and emergency services “manage” the runners.

Along the course there are designated barriers which are closed in a sequence.

The valientes are normally pushed up the course until they are no more than 300-400 metres from the endpoint. These are the first-timers, the people who are scared, who want to be in the encierro, but nowhere near the toros.

If you want to take part in the encierro, near the toros, you need to be as close to the start of the encierro (Mercaderes, Santo Domingo). Move up the streets to the area you want to run from, but stand your ground – the police will try and move you on.