An Immersive Insiders’ Experience Tailored for Running Enthusiasts
with a Lust for Adventure Who Prefer Their Adrenaline in Large Doses.

RUNNING of the BULLS

2024 FESTIVAL DE SAN FERMIN | JULY 8-10 | PAMPLONA, SPAIN

STRICTLY LIMITED TO ONLY 40 RUNNERS

Risky Business

Each morning, at precisely 8 am, a rocket announces the start of the Encierro where any soul of legal age can step onto the 929-yard route and risk their life sprinting before a rampaging herd of six Spanish Toro Bravos specially bred for this day. Danger is in the air while 2,000 thrill seeking dare devils pack the slick and narrow streets moving as fast as their legs will carry them until they bail out, are pushed aside, knocked down, flipped heels over-head, trampled, or gored.

The Encierro Route

The Running of the Bulls is staged along a series of historic cobblestone streets in Pamplona’s Old Quarter. The course flows from a corral above Town Hall down Santo Domingo, Ayuntamiento, Mercaderes, and Estafeta before reaching the short section known as “Telefónica” and ending as the thundering bulls sprint through the callejón (tunnel) into the bullring at Plaza de Toros.

Meet Your Host: Dennis Clancey

Dennis is one of the most famous bull runners in Pamplona. Based in Dallas, TX, he’s run the Encierro every year since 2007, and prepared thousands of first timers to tackle one of the globe’s most treacherous routes. You’ll spend two days with Dennis in Pamplona as he shares his intense love for the people, their history and culture, and his immense knowledge of the bull run route. You’ll also benefit from the opportunity to participate in an exclusive pre-trip webinar with Dennis and the other guests joining you on this wild, bucket list adventure experience.

PREPARING FOR THE RUSH

Adrenaline stimulates a sudden release of epinephrine in every runner. The hormone rushes into the blood, triggering immediate changes in the heart, lungs, and brain that deliver the instantaneous jolt of power and energy needed to face down danger or escape from it.

Step 1: Observation

Your preparation begins by observing a run from a premier balcony space on Dead Man’s Curve. At this perilously sharp 90-degree turn G-forces often cause bulls to slide on the slick streets and slam ferociously into the barricades while runners do their best to avoid razor-sharp horns.

Step 2: Make Your Plan

You’ll walk every step of the bull run route with expert runner Dennis Clancey who will provide valued insights and instruction intended to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Step 3: Work Your Plan

The moment you’ve long anticipated arrives. This early morning in Pamplona you gather your courage, stand up to your fear, and experience one of the most intense and exhilarating adventures on the planet.

Watch a Bull Run Start to Finish

A Mid-Fiesta runner found this start to finish video of the complete Enceirro from the day he ran with the bulls last summer, and proudly posted it to his Facebook page. The race moves quickly and the action is intense as runners and bulls cover the entire course in about two minutes!

Where You’ll Stay

The Hotel Castillo de Gorraiz is a modern four-star resort overlooking a beautiful golf course in the rolling hills above Pamplona. This posh boutique hotel is located less than 4.5 miles from the city center. You will move back and forth into town via transportation dedicated to your exclusive group.

Here’s What You’re in For

Watch this exciting episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper filed by CNN Senior National Correspondent David Culver reporting from the streets of Pamplona, Spain. It’s an in-depth look at the Festival de San Fermin featuring expert runners Dennis Clancey and Bill Hillman including nail biting footage from the world-renowned running of the bulls.

Wine & Tapas with Alexander Fiske-Harrison

Author of “Into the Arena: The World of Spanish Bullfighting”

Before you join almost 20,000 others attending an evening bullfight performance at the famed Plaza de Toros, you’ll share wine and tapas with Alexander Fiske-Harrison. You’ll hear this important author’s stories and gain a valuable perspective on the controversial dance with death you’re about to experience. Before writing his book, “Xander” trained and fought alongside matadors including Eduardo Dávila Miura of the Miura bull family, Juan José Padilla, and Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez (whose father Paquirri was killed in the ring, and whose grandfather Antonio Ordóñez was the subject of Hemingway’s novel “The Dangerous Summer”).

Chez Belagua Restaurant

Dinner at Chez Belagua will introduce you to the Basque region with a traditional steak and cider house meal. This famous restaurant is on Calle Estafeta, the festival’s most famous street in the heart of the Encierro. This is where the Pastores, true bull run royalty, choose to fuel up each night during San Fermin as they prepare to herd the bulls on the chase through the streets the next morning. It’s a rare prize to get a table here during fiesta, but we’ve got you covered.

El Búho Restaurant & Sky Bar

Your walking tour of the complete bull run route and the Corrales de Gas concludes with a dinner hosted by Dennis Clancey at this exclusive hilltop spot overlooking Old Town Pamplona. You’ll connect with a small group of dedicated runners from around the world who are joining you in Pamplona to tackle the famous Encierro, meet a group of other famous expert runners, and enjoy a sumptuous tasting of El Buho’s Navarran and international fare.

A Sea of White & Red

The attire for everyone attending the annual Festival de San Fermin is a uniform of white pants and shirt accented with a red pañuelo (bandana) and faja (sash) worn faithfully to honor the beloved Christian martyr for whom the Festival is named. The white represents his sanctity. The red bandana about the neck remembers the blood spilled cruelly with his beheading. The red sash is always knotted tightly on the left hip symbolizing the blood from a knife to his heart.

ITINERARY

MONDAY, JULY 8

Arrive Pamplona Mid-Day
Transfer from airport or train station to hotel
Greeted at Hotel Castillo de Gorraiz by a Running of the Bulls, Inc. Team Member
Receive Authentic 1591 Apparel Package with Special Commemorative T-Shirt
Wine & Tapas at Hotel with Alexander Fiske-Harrison, Author of “Into the Arena: The World of Spanish Bullfighting”
Attend Evening Performance of Bullfights at the famed Plaza de Toros with Lower Deck Tendido Shade seats
Dinner at Chez Belagua Basque Steak & Cider House

TUESDAY, JULY 9

Watch the morning Running of the Bulls from a Dead Man’s Curve Balcony
Breakfast at the hotel
Walk every step of the historic Encierro with expert runner Dennis Clancey
Special tour of the Gas Corrals where the prestigious fighting bulls are penned awaiting the morning bull runs, and evening bullfights
Dinner at El Buho Sky Bar & Restaurant hosted by Dennis Clancey and featuring other expert runners
Visit Cafe Iruna and post up at the corner of the bar with the Hemingway statue.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

Run the Encierro.
Post-run drink with Dennis Clancey at Bar Txoko.
Breakfast at Bar Baviera.
Check-out of hotel.
Transfer from hotel to airport or train station.

PRICING