JAVIER SOLANO
Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (Spain)

INTRODUCTION

The Spanish Public Television journalist Javier Solano, is known as one of the best international experts in Pamplona’s running of the bulls.
Most of his professional life in mass media -above all in television- is being spent in the analysis, description and broadcast of this particular running of men and bulls, which has spread Pamplona’s name all over the world. His long journalistic experience in this field takes form in hundreds of opinion comments and information articles about Pamplona’s running of the bulls in newspapers, magazines, internet webs and, in addition to that, for being the author of several books about this running.
On the other hand, he is a frequent running of the bulls lecturer around Spain and some foreign countries (France, Argentina, United States).
Besides mass media, his long experience as a specialized communicator in oral, written and audiovisual fields made him work personally with Pamplona’s visitors. So that, Javier Solano offers all kind of services related with the running of the bulls, such as talks, public presentations, lectures, writings and touristic guided tours through Pamplona’s running of the bulls streets.
Bullraces Commented
Years on Television
Guides Done
Talks & Conferences
SERVICES
Personalized Service. A unique programme –you decide how and when-, depending on the number of visitors, the time schedule, an so on, walking the streets the bulls run every July, guided by who is considered as the most important expert in the world about the running of the bulls.





ADITIONAL SERVICES
-
One or several gastronomic stop-breaks to taste the famous Pamplona’s “Tapas”.
-
Lunch or dinner with the guide.
-
San Fermín’s/Pamplona’s gifts.
-
Covered place in case of rain or cold weather.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us to request a budget or with any question you may have:
BIOGRAPHY

He is involved in the running of the bulls since 1973, at first, during 15 years, as a runner, and later, another 27 years, as a journalist specialized in this running.
He has written three books about the running of the bulls: El encierro de Pamplona (1995. Edit. Elkar. San Sebastián), Running to the Sun (Photos by Jim Hollander), 25 años de encierros en Pamplona (2004-2005 Two volumes) and University Referee (II Jornadas sobre ganado de lidia. Universidad Pública de Navarra).
He has Published hundreds of press articles in local, national and international media.
He has been interviewed about the running of the bulls hundreds of times in newspapers, press agencies, radios, television and Internet sites: (SER, Radio Nacional, Onda Cero, COPE, Cadena 100, Radio Rosario (Argentina), Agencia EFE, France 3, Nipon Television, CBS, CNN, Diario de Navarra, Diario de Noticias, el Correo, El País, el Mundo, USA Today, New York Times, and so on.
Writer about the running of the bulls, between 1982 and 1985, in the newspaper Navarra Hoy.
Lecturer about the runnig of the bulls every day during San Fermín Festival since 1996 in Maisonnave Hotel. Pamplona (Spanish and English).
President of the foundation Museo del Encierro.
Juror of the prizes for best ganadería in Pamplona (Taurine Club) and also juror of the photo contest (Pamplona’s Press Association).
Author of the texts in the CD «El encierro algo más que una carrera» (1999).
Author of the film «Jugando a no morir» (1986)
He has been lecturer about the running of the bulls at:
-
Las peñas pamplonesas, Universidad de Navarra, Palacio de Congresos Baluarte, Escuela de verano Navarro-Argentina, Centros culturales del Ayuntamiento (Pamplona)
-
Sangüesa, Peralta, Funes, Bargota (Navarra)
-
Centro Navarro de Rosario (Argentina)
-
Escuela Diplomática del Departamento de Estado norteamericano (Washington)
-
Diplomatic School of State Department (Washington)
-
Euskal Etxea (Barcelona)
-
Beziers and Guetary City Halls(Francia)
-
Cuellar, Benavente and Valladolid (Castilla-León)
-
Rincón de Soto, Arnedo, Alfaro and Santo Domingo de la Calzada (La Rioja)
-
Ampuero (Cantabria)
-
San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid)
-
Los Barrios and Algeciras (Cádiz)
-
Segorbe, Onda, Puzol and Valencia (Comunidad Valenciana)
-
Trillo (Castilla-La Mancha)

Anchor and the one in charge of live broadcast of the running of the bulls through TV for the last 25 years.
He has been rewarded three times in the San Fermín International Press Contest (1984,1988 and 1991), in the fields of press and television.
PUBLISHINGS
Javier Solano. Preface of the book "Run to the Sun":
«July seventh. Eight o’clock in the morning. Tens of thousands of people, defying the weariness and the lack of sleep endemic to the exhausting Fiesta de San Fermín, crowd into the bullring, behind the barricades erected at side streets and on the balconies of the tall, old facades of three streets and one square. Suddenly, the bust of a rocket shatters the murmuring in the streets of the medieval Old City; all eyes turn in unison. All crane their necks to scrutinize a horizon of bobbing heads of bobbing young people. In the distance, the sea of heads begins to move with increasing rapidity. Little by little the compact mass reaches progressively higher speeds and the blur of the first horns begins to materialize from among the black shadows making their way through the homogeneous mob dressed almost entirely in red and white.
An instant later, a herd of six fighting bulls and eight steers, which from the balconies appears to form an arrowhead, “flies” over the ancient cobblestones, the animals completely surrounded by swift runners who place themselves within inches of the bulls. The run is rapid. At times it is violent, but there are also moments of ballet-like harmony between man and beast. Seconds later, bulls and runners once again fade into the distance, and the intense emotion and the pent-up sensations dissipate again in the sea of bobbing heads. The distant thud of a rocket marks the end of the ephemeral spectacle. The running of the bulls has finished; the bulls are no longer in the street; the specter of tragedy departs until the next day at the same hour, but the intensity of those brief moments, the emotion that brings forth screams, the risk of playing with death along with the explosion of sound, imagery and color experienced by spectators and runners alike will forever remain. There are seven more encierros to follow in the fiesta.
The visual impact for the spectator, who witnesses the encierro, above all for the first time, is beyond compare. But the other ingredient of the run is the profound fear, human and understandable, alghough controllable, of those who participate freely as runners in the encierro, who, instead of running blindly forward in a panic-stricken, every-man-for-himself attempt to escape danger and death, strive to approach the bulls as closely as possible, scorning danger and freely risking their lives by challenging an animal immensely more powerful than themselves. It is not surprising then that this primitive irrationality, this collective madness, this extolling of courage, this magical spirit, this ineffable uniqueness that sets it apart from mere sporting events, has bewitched a world-wide audience and has captured the imagination of writers such as Ernest Hemingway, all of whom are drawn to its beauty and the organized anarchy of fleeting life called the encierro.»
LINKS
Contact & Budget
JAVIER SOLANO
Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (Spain)

INTRODUCTION

The Spanish Public Television journalist Javier Solano, is known as one of the best international experts in Pamplona’s running of the bulls.
Most of his professional life in mass media -above all in television- is being spent in the analysis, description and broadcast of this particular running of men and bulls, which has spread Pamplona’s name all over the world. His long journalistic experience in this field takes form in hundreds of opinion comments and information articles about Pamplona’s running of the bulls in newspapers, magazines, internet webs and, in addition to that, for being the author of several books about this running.
On the other hand, he is a frequent running of the bulls lecturer around Spain and some foreign countries (France, Argentina, United States).
Besides mass media, his long experience as a specialized communicator in oral, written and audiovisual fields made him work personally with Pamplona’s visitors. So that, Javier Solano offers all kind of services related with the running of the bulls, such as talks, public presentations, lectures, writings and touristic guided tours through Pamplona’s running of the bulls streets.
Bullraces Commented
Years in Television
Guides Done
Talks & Conferences
SERVICES
Personalized Service. A unique programme –you decide how and when-, depending on the number of visitors, the time schedule, an so on, walking the streets the bulls run every July, guided by who is considered as the most important expert in the world about the running of the bulls.
ADITIONAL SERVICES
-
One or several gastronomic stop-breaks to taste the famous Pamplona’s “Tapas”.
-
Lunch or dinner with the guide.
-
San Fermín’s/Pamplona’s gifts.
-
Covered place in case of rain or cold weather.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us to request a budget or with any question you may have:
BIOGRAPHY

He is involved in the running of the bulls since 1973, at first, during 15 years, as a runner, and later, another 27 years, as a journalist specialized in this running.
He has written three books about the running of the bulls: El encierro de Pamplona (1995. Edit. Elkar. San Sebastián), Running to the Sun (Photos by Jim Hollander), 25 años de encierros en Pamplona (2004-2005 Two volumes) and University Referee (II Jornadas sobre ganado de lidia. Universidad Pública de Navarra).
He has Published hundreds of press articles in local, national and international media.
He has been interviewed about the running of the bulls hundreds of times in newspapers, press agencies, radios, television and Internet sites: (SER, Radio Nacional, Onda Cero, COPE, Cadena 100, Radio Rosario (Argentina), Agencia EFE, France 3, Nipon Television, CBS, CNN, Diario de Navarra, Diario de Noticias, el Correo, El País, el Mundo, USA Today, New York Times, and so on.
Writer about the running of the bulls, between 1982 and 1985, in the newspaper Navarra Hoy.
Lecturer about the runnig of the bulls every day during San Fermín Festival since 1996 in Maisonnave Hotel. Pamplona (Spanish and English).
President of the foundation Museo del Encierro.
Juror of the prizes for best ganadería in Pamplona (Taurine Club) and also juror of the photo contest (Pamplona’s Press Association).
Author of the texts in the CD “El encierro algo más que una carrera” (1999).
Author of the film “Jugando a no morir” (1986)
He has been lecturer about the running of the bulls at:
-
Las peñas pamplonesas, Universidad de Navarra, Palacio de Congresos Baluarte, Escuela de verano Navarro-Argentina, Centros culturales del Ayuntamiento (Pamplona)
-
Sangüesa, Peralta, Funes, Bargota (Navarra)
-
Centro Navarro de Rosario (Argentina)
-
Escuela Diplomática del Departamento de Estado norteamericano (Washington)
-
Diplomatic School of State Department (Washington)
-
Euskal Etxea (Barcelona)
-
Beziers and Guetary City Halls(Francia)
-
Cuellar, Benavente and Valladolid (Castilla-León)
-
Rincón de Soto, Arnedo, Alfaro and Santo Domingo de la Calzada (La Rioja)
-
Ampuero (Cantabria)
-
San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid)
-
Los Barrios and Algeciras (Cádiz)
-
Segorbe, Onda, Puzol and Valencia (Comunidad Valenciana)
-
Trillo (Castilla-La Mancha)
Anchor and the one in charge of live broadcast of the running of the bulls through TV for the last 25 years.
He has been rewarded three times in the San Fermín International Press Contest (1984,1988 and 1991), in the fields of press and television.

PUBLISHINGS
Javier Solano. Preface of the book "Run to the Sun":
“July seventh. Eight o’clock in the morning. Tens of thousands of people, defying the weariness and the lack of sleep endemic to the exhausting Fiesta de San Fermín, crowd into the bullring, behind the barricades erected at side streets and on the balconies of the tall, old facades of three streets and one square. Suddenly, the bust of a rocket shatters the murmuring in the streets of the medieval Old City; all eyes turn in unison. All crane their necks to scrutinize a horizon of bobbing heads of bobbing young people. In the distance, the sea of heads begins to move with increasing rapidity. Little by little the compact mass reaches progressively higher speeds and the blur of the first horns begins to materialize from among the black shadows making their way through the homogeneous mob dressed almost entirely in red and white.
An instant later, a herd of six fighting bulls and eight steers, which from the balconies appears to form an arrowhead, “flies” over the ancient cobblestones, the animals completely surrounded by swift runners who place themselves within inches of the bulls. The run is rapid. At times it is violent, but there are also moments of ballet-like harmony between man and beast. Seconds later, bulls and runners once again fade into the distance, and the intense emotion and the pent-up sensations dissipate again in the sea of bobbing heads. The distant thud of a rocket marks the end of the ephemeral spectacle. The running of the bulls has finished; the bulls are no longer in the street; the specter of tragedy departs until the next day at the same hour, but the intensity of those brief moments, the emotion that brings forth screams, the risk of playing with death along with the explosion of sound, imagery and color experienced by spectators and runners alike will forever remain. There are seven more encierros to follow in the fiesta.
The visual impact for the spectator, who witnesses the encierro, above all for the first time, is beyond compare. But the other ingredient of the run is the profound fear, human and understandable, alghough controllable, of those who participate freely as runners in the encierro, who, instead of running blindly forward in a panic-stricken, every-man-for-himself attempt to escape danger and death, strive to approach the bulls as closely as possible, scorning danger and freely risking their lives by challenging an animal immensely more powerful than themselves. It is not surprising then that this primitive irrationality, this collective madness, this extolling of courage, this magical spirit, this ineffable uniqueness that sets it apart from mere sporting events, has bewitched a world-wide audience and has captured the imagination of writers such as Ernest Hemingway, all of whom are drawn to its beauty and the organized anarchy of fleeting life called the encierro.”
LINKS