The Running of the Nudes, like the well-known Running of the Bulls, takes place in Pamplona

Pamplona

Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. The Running of the Nudes occurs two days before the Running of the Bulls, just before the start of the nine-day festival of San Fermín

San Fermín

The festival of San Fermín in the city of Pamplona , is a deeply rooted celebration held annually from 12:00, 6 July, when the opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo, to midnight 14 July, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí...

. The event was created in 2002 and is supported by animal welfare groups, including PETA

Peta

Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...

, who object to the Running of the Bulls, claiming that the event is cruel and glorifies bullfighting

Bullfighting

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...

, which the groups oppose. In the Running of the Nudes, naked humans, many wearing only plastic horns and red scarves, follow the same route taken by the Running of the Bulls, from the Santo Domingo corrals through the town’s streets, ending at the Plaza de Toros. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and the event takes about one hour.

History

In 2002, approximately 25 naked streakers ran through Pamplona’s winding streets to promote an alternative to the Running of the Bulls. Subsequent events saw a steady increase in the numbers of runners with an estimated 1000 nude or semi-nude runners taking part in the event in 2006.

Animal welfare

Animal welfare

Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...

groups across Europe and in North America have promoted the event, coordinating low-cost transportation and accommodations for the runners. The event has become an annual alternative festival to the Running of the Bulls. Local citizens, initially offended by the public display of nudity, have become more accepting due to changing morals and because the new event has extended the traditional festival and added to its important economic impact for the town. Organizers work with local government to obtain permits and provide insurance, as required by local law.