The Ayuntamiento stretch of the encierro route sits at the top of Santo Domingo, where the herd emerges into the Plaza Consistorial. This wide section in front of Pamplona’s City Hall is one of the most recognizable points along the 875-meter course. The route opens up here, the terrain banks slightly to the left, and a cable-mounted camera overhead tracks the lead animal in real time. For runners choosing this tramo (section), the Ayuntamiento offers both width and visibility, but it demands more route awareness than many first-timers expect.
Where the Ayuntamiento Sits on the Route
The Ayuntamiento occupies the transition between the steep uphill of Santo Domingo and the narrow descent of Calle Mercaderes. As Mat Dowsett describes in Encierro! (2003), the herd runs diagonally across the Plaza Consistorial after cresting Santo Domingo, then funnels into Mercaderes. That diagonal crossing means the bulls are shifting direction as they pass through, and the open space of the plaza gives them room to spread.
The section is fairly wide compared to other tramos, with barriers (vallados) on both sides. The terrain slopes gently downward to the left, creating a slight bank. This gradient is subtle but worth noting: it affects footing for both runners and animals. The width and the barriers make the Ayuntamiento a popular choice for runners on their first encierro, but Dennis Clancey cautions against assuming that width equals simplicity.
Complexity in your first run is something that we are ultimately trying to avoid.
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
The issue is not the Ayuntamiento itself. The issue is that choosing this section often means a runner must account for multiple tramos during their run, including the transition into Mercaderes and potentially beyond. Each additional section introduces new variables: different widths, different gradients, different crowd density. For a first-time runner, Dennis recommends keeping things as contained as possible.
The Cable Camera: A Runner’s Advantage
One of the most useful features of the Ayuntamiento stretch is the cable-mounted camera that runs on a wire suspended over the run route. This camera tracks directly above the lead animal, and runners in the plaza can look up to gauge exactly where the herd is as it approaches.
The history of this camera ties directly to the Encierro team. Dennis Clancey was the first person to place a camera on a cable over Town Hall Square, during the production of his documentary Chasing Red. He secured special permission from the Government of Pamplona’s Office of Security to mount the camera above the Ayuntamiento, because that was the section of route where he ran each morning.
Dennis Clancey was the first to identify that it was a great place to be able to capture the run. And today, it is something that the runners get to benefit from.
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
Years after the Chasing Red filming, the city of Pamplona permanently installed their own cable camera in the same location. What began as a filmmaker’s innovation became a tool that every runner in the Ayuntamiento section can now use to track the approaching herd.
Watching the Encierro at the Ayuntamiento
For spectators, the Ayuntamiento offers some of the best viewing in all of Pamplona. Balconies line the plaza on multiple sides, and they provide elevated, unobstructed sightlines over the route. Dennis notes that balcony viewing is far preferable to the barriers here, because the double vallado (the gap between the inner and outer barriers) creates a no man’s land that limits ground-level visibility.
Ander Etxanobe writes in The Basque (2021), available on Amazon, about arriving at the Ayuntamiento before his first encierro, describing the carpenters sealing off the streets at dawn and the sound of hammers filling the morning air as 900 posts and 1,700 boards were secured into place. That pre-run atmosphere, with runners stretching, police conducting security checks, and the Normas del Encierro video looping on a display screen overhead, is part of what makes the Ayuntamiento a magnetic gathering point each morning.
As a side note, one of the most extraordinary vantage points in all of Pamplona sits at the top of the Iglesia de San Saturnino’s church steeple, which overlooks both the Ayuntamiento square and up into Mercaderes. Access is essentially impossible for the general public, but the view from that height is remarkable.
Tactical Considerations
The encierro at the Ayuntamiento is fast. The herd typically reaches the Plaza Consistorial within 40 to 45 seconds of being released from the corrales at the bottom of Santo Domingo, as Dowsett notes in Encierro! (2003). That leaves very little time between the second rocket (confirming all bulls are out of the pen) and the herd’s arrival in the square.
Before the run, a deputation from the Ayuntamiento and members of the local police walk the entire route to verify that barriers are intact and the streets are safe. This pre-run inspection, which Dowsett documents in detail, can even result in sections being repaired or, in extreme cases, the encierro being postponed.
The gravity of this section is underscored by its history. As Ray Mouton recounts in Pamplona (2002), a young American runner was fatally gored in front of the town hall less than thirty seconds into his first encierro in 1995. Width does not equal safety. The Ayuntamiento demands the same respect as any other section of the route.
Once the run begins, runners in the Ayuntamiento need to be aware of the diagonal trajectory the herd takes across the plaza. The bulls do not run in a straight line through this section. They cut across the open space, and that diagonal movement can catch a runner off guard if they are positioned assuming a linear path. Mouton notes that the herd’s course across the Plaza Consistorial is bounded by old balconied buildings and wooden barricades, with medics, ambulance drivers, and police positioned behind the barriers at the ready.
The Ayuntamiento is really where I first started. It’s where I would learn to dart and weave and avoid the bulls, and so it holds a special place for me.
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
Vocabulario
- Ayuntamiento (ah-yoon-tah-MYEN-toh): City Hall. In Pamplona, it refers both to the government building and the surrounding Plaza Consistorial.
- Tramo (TRAH-moh): A section or stretch of the encierro route.
- Vallado (vah-YAH-doh): The wooden barriers (fencing) erected along the run route each morning.
- Pastores (pahs-TOH-rehs): The drovers (shepherds) who follow the herd with long sticks, keeping the bulls moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ayuntamiento a good section for first-time runners?
The Ayuntamiento is wide and offers good visibility, which makes it appealing. However, running here often means covering multiple sections of the route, which adds complexity. Dennis Clancey recommends that first-timers keep their run as contained as possible to reduce variables.
How can runners tell where the bulls are during the encierro?
At the Ayuntamiento, a cable-mounted camera runs on a wire above the route, tracking directly over the lead animal. Runners can look up to gauge the herd’s position as it approaches from Santo Domingo.
Where is the best place to watch the encierro at the Ayuntamiento?
Balconies overlooking the plaza offer the best vantage points. The double barrier system at street level limits ground-level viewing, so elevated positions are strongly preferred.
How fast do the bulls reach the Ayuntamiento?
The herd typically arrives at the Plaza Consistorial within 40 to 45 seconds of being released from the corrales at Santo Domingo.
Plan Your Encierro Experience
The Ayuntamiento is one of the most storied stretches of the encierro route, and understanding its terrain, its timing, and its tactical nuances is part of running it well. If you are planning to experience San Fermin firsthand, our team walks the route with you and breaks down every section before the morning of the run. Book a tour with Encierro and prepare with people who have been running these streets since 2007.