Anti-slip paint to make Pamplona run safer

Organisers of the famous “running of the bulls” in the Spanish town of Pamplona are reportedly to coat the city’s streets in a special non-slip chemical in order to reduce injuries during the event. Thousands of people line up each year to run with the bulls – and every year, dozens are hurt from slipping on the city’s streets as they try to outrun and avoid the charging beasts. Now, The Independent newspaper reports, part of the course, the Mercaderes Curve – where it takes a 90-degree turn – will be coated in a chemical that washes the street’s stones but also renders them less slippery. However, one man who has completed the bull-run for the last 26 years is quoted as saying that the initiative may actually prove to be more of a boon for the bulls than for their human counterparts. Miguel Leza reportedly said: “It will be better for the bulls than the runners because we have better balance and our legs don’t slide too much. They can’t see the curve until they are on it, and can’t slow down. But when the bulls get up they’ll find their feet and rejoin the herd more quickly.” None of the bulls, which are led to face their death in the bullring after the race, were available for comment. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd