Boloencierro in Mataelpino

On 22 and 23 August, the «boloensierro» will take place in the town of Mataelpino, 45 minutes from Madrid, as part of the San Bartolomé festivities. Instead of the traditional running of the bulls through the streets, a polyurethane foam ball weighing around 300 kg will roll along, and participants will have to run in front of it, as in a classic bull run.

Photo by facebook.com

The tradition began more than ten years ago for purely economic reasons: the town could not afford to organise a bull run with real bulls, so the Town Council proposed an alternative and gave residents a ball three metres in diameter. At first it weighed around 200 kg, but over time it was made lighter to reduce the risk of injury during the run. Wearing a helmet is compulsory to take part.

Schedule:

Saturday, 22 August: 11:00, children's run; 12:00, adults' run.

Sunday, 23 August: 11:00, children's run; 12:00, adults' run.