Cobblestones and Footing: What the Surface of the Encierro Route Is Actually Like

The encierro cobblestones in Pamplona are not a uniform surface. Runners line up each morning on a route that transitions from asphalt to centuries-old adoquines to modern paving, sometimes within a single city block. Understanding the surface beneath your feet is one of the most overlooked elements of preparation for the running of the bulls, and it is one that separates someone who has studied the encierro route from someone who simply shows up at 8:00 AM.

The 875-meter course winds through Pamplona’s casco viejo (old quarter), where the medieval street layout dictates not just the route’s direction but its texture. According to sanfermines.net, the route “winds its way through the tortuous medieval streets of the Old Part of the city.” What that description does not capture is what all of this feels like underfoot.

Surface Transitions Along the Route

The first thing most runners do not realize is that the encierro route is not paved in a single material. The initial stretch, as the bulls exit the corral on Santo Domingo, is asphalt. This surface lasts only briefly before the route transitions to adoquines (cobblestones) as it climbs the steep Santo Domingo slope past the portico where a small statue of San Fermin watches over the runners below.

From that transition point, adoquines and set stones make up the majority of the course. The Mercaderes stretch runs on a mixture of older stone and newer patches from periodic maintenance. Calle Estafeta, the longest straight on the route, is paved with a combination of worn adoquines and sections that were resurfaced over the past several decades. And the final descent toward Telefonica narrows over yet another surface texture before funneling into the tunnel.

The variation matters because each surface type behaves differently under the conditions of the run. Morning dew, residual moisture from overnight festivities, and the anti-slip treatments the city applies before Fiesta all interact differently depending on whether the stone is polished granite, rough-cut limestone, or modern paving.

The Adoquines: Properties and Hazards

The adoquines are individual stone blocks, roughly the size of a brick, set into the street in tight patterns. Centuries of footsteps, hooves, and weather have worn them into their current state. They are not smooth, but neither are they uniform in texture. Wear patterns concentrate where the route has been run most heavily, and older sections have visible grooves where water collects.

In The Basque (2021), Ander Etxanobe describes examining the route’s physical conditions firsthand: “While I examined the gradient of the slopes, the width of the street, the sharpness of the turn, and the levelness of the cobblestone terrain, I realized that first-time runners should run the Ayuntamiento section. But the hard truth is that you are not safe anywhere on the run route.” That observation captures the essential point: the cobblestones are not merely scenic. They are a variable that determines where you can maintain speed and where you cannot. (Purchase The Basque on Amazon)

Santo Domingo presents a unique surface hazard that does not exist elsewhere on the route. While curbs have been systematically removed from most of the course over the decades to reduce trip risk, Santo Domingo still has them. There is also a band of white stone, similar to limestone, running along the left side near the top of the slope. This band is noticeably more slippery than the surrounding adoquines, especially when wet.

How the Surface Was Changed, and What It Cost

The encierro route’s surface is not what it was a generation ago. In the 1990s, the city of Pamplona repaved portions of the route, a decision that had consequences nobody fully anticipated at the time.

Ray Mouton, in his account Pamplona (2002), documents the politics behind the change. The preservationists lost that argument when the Tour de France announced it would come through Pamplona in honor of cycling legend Miguel Indurain. Mouton writes that the paving “heightened the danger of the encierro and increased the likelihood of injury.” The smoother paved sections accelerated the average encierro time. Bulls run faster on even surfaces, especially downhill.

The city has responded to these traction issues over time. In 2005, Pamplona began applying an anti-slip solution to the stone surface, starting at La Curva de Estafeta and expanding to other sections including the Town Hall square. The treatment cleans the pores of the stone, restoring grip that centuries of wear and the resurfacing had diminished.

What Runners Feel

On the Jokin Zuasti episode of Ander Etxanobe’s Mozxs Podcast, it was said: “You don’t know exactly where they are. You can hear them, you can feel the ground shaking under your feet, but you can’t see them most of the time.” That sensory description captures something photographs and maps cannot: the ground itself communicates. The vibrations of the herd travel through the stone before the sound fully reaches your ears.

This tactile feedback is part of why experienced runners pay close attention to what they are standing on. The cobblestones are not passive terrain. They transmit information, they affect stopping distance, and they punish hesitation. A runner who loses footing on the downhill slope of Mercaderes is in a different situation than one who slips on the flat, wide stretch near Town Hall, because the grade of the street determines what happens next.

The inconsistency of the surface is the real challenge. Original adoquines sit next to newer patches of stone. Worn grooves sit next to flat sections. Limestone sits next to granite. And all of it changes character depending on whether the morning is dry, dewy, or still damp from the previous night’s cleaning.

Expert Insight: Dennis Clancey on Encierro Footing

“The first section is asphalt, as the bulls come out of the corral. That changes shortly after the bulls pass the small statue of San Fermin that’s in the portico on Santo Domingo. It transfers at that point from the asphalt to adoquines. Adoquines and set stones are the majority of the route.”

“The thing that you have to be careful of on Santo Domingo though is that there are curbs. There are no curbs elsewhere on the run route. They’ve been removed over the years.”

Dennis Clancey, founder of Encierro and member of La Unica Pena

For a comprehensive video guide to running the route and understanding the surface beneath your feet, watch Dennis Clancey’s Definitive Guide to Running with Bulls, available in 16 languages:

Dennis, who has run since 2007, notes that the limestone band on Santo Domingo and the remaining curbs are two hazards that exist nowhere else on the route. For first-time runners evaluating where to position themselves, this is a meaningful factor.

For a comprehensive visual walkthrough of the entire route, including the surface transitions described here, watch the Definitive Guide to Running with Bulls, a video guide presented by Dennis Clancey and available in 16 languages.

Traction and Footwear

Traction is the one non-negotiable feature in encierro footwear. There is no single correct shoe for the run, but there is a single mandatory property: grip on stone.

Some runners prefer thick-soled trail shoes for ankle stability. Others go the opposite direction. Dennis explains his own approach: “I’ve always preferred to wear shoes with minimal soles that were as thin as possible so I could feel the individual cobblestones under my feet.” His shoe of choice, a discontinued New Balance MT00 with a Vibram sole weighing 3.7 ounces, reflects a philosophy that prioritizes sensory feedback over cushioning. He has gone through eight pairs since the shoe was discontinued in 2013, sourcing new-old-stock from eBay.

That level of commitment to a specific shoe is not unusual among experienced runners. Footwear becomes personal. Some runners keep the same shoes for years, returning to Pamplona each July with broken-in soles they trust. The cobblestones reward familiarity. Whatever shoe you choose, lace it tightly. A loose shoe on wet adoquines is a liability.