In Spain, few women dare to run with bulls
PAMPLONA, SPAIN—Dressed in the traditional bull runner’s garb of a white shirt and red neck-scarf, Yomara Martínez, 30, sprinted in the death-defying morning run or “encierros” taking place this week in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.
Yet despite being in a crowd of thousands, Martínez was among only a handful of women daredevils running with the stampeding bulls at the San Fermín Festival.
“At the end of the day, the bull doesn’t know about sexes, age or body shape,” Martinez said. “It doesn’t matter if you are woman.”
Every year, thousands of people line the medieval streets of Pamplona to witness the centuries-old tradition of running with bulls. Many watch from balconies and wooden barricades along the course. Millions more follow the spectacle on television. Martínez and other women taking part in the adrenaline-fueled tradition as more than mere spectators say it’s growing in popularity.
“There are times I feel small. And ask myself ‘what am I doing here?’ Because, although you may not want to, you do feel slightly inferior because of your physique,” said 32-year-old Sara Puñal, an administrator who took part in Sunday’s run.
“But in the moment, you are all equal,” Puñal said of the run.
The bulls pound along the twisting cobblestone streets after being led by six steers. Up to 4,000 runners take part in each bull run, which takes place over 846 meters (2,775 feet) and can last two to four minutes.
The expert Spanish runners try to sprint just in front of the bull’s horns for a few seconds while egging the animal on with a rolled newspaper. Gorings are not rare, but many more people are bruised and injured in falls and pileups with each other.
