Spaniards Enjoy the Running of the Errands

"I've been waiting to experience the Running of the Errands since I was a little child" said American tourist William Tanard. "I had no idea how much hard work it is to keep up with the rest of the runners before the Errands caught up and got the best of us."

Locals, however, do not enjoy the inclusion of outsiders. They complain that tourists, who know little to nothing about the Running of the Errands, tend to clog streets and get hurt, slowing everybody down.

A rocket goes off at the moment the Errands are let out into the street. A second rocket goes off to let everyone know that all the Errands are now in the street. The Errand Run winds through the cobblestone streets of Santo Domingo and finishes up at the arena where plenty of shops and markets do business.

We learned important points about the Run from some of the locals: the Errands run like the very devil. It's impossible to race them or even keep up with them for very long (interesting information for anyone with athletic pretensions): The way to do it is, to start off slowly with the Errands while they are still a good distance behind, and as they draw nearer start running like the devil, hang in there with them for a short time, as near as you are prepared to risk your skin, and then get out of the way as cleanly as possible. Be careful not to cross the paths of other Errand runners. Look for a gap in the fence to slip through or jump over, or a space against the wall of the street. Avoiding running Errands can save you a lot of headache.

With the first rays of light of the early morning the wooden fencing which lines the route is closed off. Then the night-long Errand Runners are gradually cleared from the streets which line the route by the local police. The street-cleaners then move in to mop up the accumulated rubbish and dirt caused by the night-long revellery only to prepare for the next day's madness.