The barreras (barriers) are the fences and barriers that run along sections of the encierro route, marking the boundary between the street where the bulls run and the areas beyond. For many runners and spectators, the barreras represent safety: a place to step out of danger if needed, a place to hide if things go wrong. This understanding is incomplete and potentially dangerous. The barreras are not emergency exits. They are infrastructure designed to manage crowd flow, to protect spectators, and to organize the movement of authorities and medical personnel. The gaps in the barreras, the locations where they exist and where they do not exist, and the actual mechanics of reaching a barrera in an emergency are all critical geographic knowledge for anyone who intends to run. Understanding the actual purpose and limitations of the barreras is part of spatial awareness and part of making responsible decisions about where to position yourself on the route.
The Purpose of the Barreras: Managing Crowds and Emergency Response
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the barriers are erected between 6:00 am and 7:00 am each morning, positioned at key intersections and throughout the route. The barriers are numbered; the same barriers are used in the same locations every day, making repair and maintenance systematic. The barriers are constructed of metal frames and are supported by thick posts placed in specially constructed retaining holes in the ground.
The barriers serve multiple purposes. Dowsett documents that spectators occupy spaces behind the barriers to watch the encierro safely. Police use the barriers to control crowd movement and to manage the flow of runners onto the route. Most importantly, the area behind the barriers, known as the safety zone or buffer zone, is where medical personnel, police, and authorized photographers have access.
Dennis explains the actual purpose of this buffer zone:
“Wherever there’s a vallado, there’s a no man’s land behind it. You can only have medics, police, and a select number of photographers.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
This no man’s land is critical infrastructure for emergency response. If a runner is injured on the route, they must be moved behind the barriers to the safety zone where medics can work. If someone is inebriated or dangerous, they must be removed from the route through the barriers. The barriers enable the rapid movement of injured people off the street and out of the path of the continuing herd.
The Barrera Locations Along the Route
The barreras are not continuous along the entire route. They are strategically placed at specific locations based on the geometry of the streets and the management needs of the encierro. Understanding where barreras exist and where they do not is practical knowledge for a runner trying to understand their positioning options.
Dennis provides specific information about barrera locations:
“Town hall is exclusively barriers, double barriers basically.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
At the Plaza Consistorial (Town Hall Square), the entire perimeter uses double barriers. According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the double-barrier system was implemented in the 1940s after a bull broke through a single line of barriers during the Spanish Civil War and caused havoc in the town. Now, the standard is two rows of barriers for maximum security and clear separation of the route from spectators and buildings.
As the route moves up Santo Domingo from the corral, the left side near the market has barriers positioned along the street, while the right side is bordered by high stone walls and the bastion wall. The barriers are not continuous; they are positioned strategically.
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), Mercaderes initially has no barriers, just the facades of buildings on both sides. Partway through Mercaderes, past a bank building, barriers begin on the right side and continue as the route approaches La Curva de Estafeta.
On Estafeta, most of the street is bordered by the facades of buildings rather than barriers. Dennis references the first barrera exit on Estafeta:
“The first place where you can kind of exit going up Estafeta is Bajada De Javier.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
Bajada de Javier (pronounced bah-HAH-dah deh HAH-vee-air) is a cross street that opens to the left roughly one-third of the way up Estafeta, and it has a barrera exit. Beyond that point, barrera exits are sparse until the final approach to the bullring.
Medical Positioning and Ambulance Strategy
The location of the barreras is directly related to the positioning of medical personnel and ambulance access. Dennis explains the medical strategy:
“In Mercaderes is where there’s the biggest concentration of medical personnel and you have ambulances as well. Because it’s midway along the run route.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
Mercaderes is positioned roughly midway along the 875-meter route, making it the logical location for the highest concentration of medical resources. From this central point, medics can reach any part of the route reasonably quickly. Dennis also explains the evacuation logistics:
“It’s very quick to be able to take an ambulance out through Plaza de Castillo out to the hospitals.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
The geography of Pamplona’s streets and plaza system allows ambulances from Mercaderes to route through Plaza de Castillo and directly to the hospitals. This rapid evacuation capability is one reason why injuries in the encierro, while serious, are typically survivable.
The Critical Misconception: Barreras Are Not Escape Routes
One of the most dangerous misconceptions is that the barreras function as emergency escape routes for runners. This is false. Dennis is direct about why:
“If you’re on that barrier, you’re a waiting target for a horn. It’s not quick to get over a barrier when a bull is nearby, largely because of the number of people that are crowding the side of the route.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
There are several problems with trying to escape a charging bull by jumping a barrier. First, the barrier is typically crowded with spectators on the other side. Second, the actual physical action of climbing over a barrier while a bull is nearby is not fast. The bull can reach you while you are in the act of climbing. Third, a bull that is separated from the herd (a suelto) may pursue in unexpected directions, and a runner at the barrier becomes a stationary target.
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the actual strategy for escaping from a lone bull is fundamentally different:
“Your best option to get away from a lone bull is to take off running, one way or another down the run route. Whichever is the least resistance for you.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
Running, not climbing, is the response to a separated bull. A runner moving down the street in either direction, moving away from the bull, is moving as fast as the bull can move and thus reducing the likelihood of being caught. A runner trying to climb a barrier is slowing down at the exact moment when speed matters most.
The Barrier Infrastructure and Crowd Management
Understanding the barreras is also about understanding how the authorities manage the encierro as a whole. According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), between 6:00 am and 7:30 am, the barriers are erected and the streets are cleaned. Spectators occupy positions behind the second barrier (the outer barrier) and cannot spectate from the inner barrier. The space between the two barriers is off-limits to all but authorized personnel.
The police use the barriers to control crowd flow and to clear the route of people who should not be there. Anyone found on the inner barriers or in the buffer zone during the morning is removed. The barriers define the legal area where runners can stand and where spectators can watch.
Barrera Locations as Positional Reference Points
While the barreras should not be thought of as escape routes, they are valuable as reference points for understanding your position on the route. If you are at a barrera, you know roughly where you are on the 875-meter course. You can orient yourself relative to the route. The named barrera locations, as documented by Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), include positions at the start, halfway up Santo Domingo, at the plaza, at Mercaderes, and at the final approach to the bullring.
For a runner building spatial awareness, understanding the barrera locations helps you understand the geography. But this understanding should be in service of knowing where you are, not in service of believing that the barreras offer protection from an active threat on the route.
Vocabulario: Spanish Terms Related to Barriers and Safety Zones
Barrera (bah-REHR-rah): A barrier or fence marking the boundary of the run route.
Vallado (vah-YAH-doh): Another term for barrier; emphasizes the no man’s land buffer zone behind it.
Suelto (SWEL-toh): A bull separated from the herd. Understanding that you cannot reliably escape a suelto via the barreras is critical safety knowledge.
Mercaderes (mer-cah-DEHR-es): The street where the biggest concentration of medical personnel is positioned.
Bajada de Javier (bah-HAH-dah deh HAH-vee-air): A cross street with the first barrera exit on Estafeta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the barreras as an escape if a bull approaches me?
No. Trying to climb a barrier while a bull is nearby is dangerous and slow. The barrier will likely be crowded with spectators on the other side. Your best response to a separated bull is to run, moving down the street in whatever direction offers the least resistance and greatest distance from the bull.
Where are the barreras located on the encierro route?
Barreras are not continuous along the entire route. They are positioned at key locations: the start, portions of Santo Domingo, the plaza, portions of Mercaderes, and sections of Estafeta. Most of Estafeta is bordered by building facades rather than barreras. Understanding the barrera locations helps with spatial orientation, but runners should not position themselves based on proximity to barreras.
What is the purpose of the space behind the barreras?
The space behind the barreras, called the buffer zone, is reserved for medics, police, and authorized photographers. This area enables rapid emergency response. If someone is injured on the route, they must be moved behind the barriers to the safety zone where medical treatment can be provided.
Should I position myself near a barrera for safety?
No. Selecting your position based on proximity to a barrera is the wrong strategy. The barreras are not escape routes, and a position near a barrera does not provide safety. Position yourself based on spatial awareness and the principles Dennis teaches: understanding the geometry of the route, the typical behavior of the herd, and your ability to move and respond to what is actually happening.
Understand Barrera Geography and Real Safety Strategy
The barreras are critical infrastructure in the encierro, but they are not what many first-time runners believe them to be. Our preparation sessions explain the actual purpose and limitations of the barreras and teach you real safety strategy based on spatial awareness and positioning. Learn the barrera locations as part of understanding the full route geography, or book a tour with Encierro and see the barreras and the route from the perspective of someone who understands the actual function of this infrastructure.