In Mataelpino, a village of 1700 just outside Madrid, the people flee down the streets from an oncoming ball rather than a bull.

The boloencierro, a portmanteau combining the Spanish words for ball and bull running, sees local people running from a giant 125kg polystyrene ball – with a bull painted on it to pay tribute to its bovine origins.

The move has been celebrated by animal rights groups in Spain, who hope that the boloencierro will now be copied in cities around the country, and bring about an end to the use of the animals for sport.

The Local reports that Mataelpino saw a rise in tourism numbers following their decision, and now animal rights organisation Peta will promote it around the country, where bull running has become increasingly controversial.

“After bull runs the animals are tortured and killed in the bullring,” Peta president Mimi Bekhechi said.

“People are also gored or trampled to death. Boloencierro is fun, for all the family and a great alternative for the growing number of people who oppose bullfighting and bull runs.”

The San Fermin run in Pamplona is the most well-known of all the Spanish bull runs, but encierros are held all over Spain, Portugal and parts of South America.

Peta has now offered to pay the costs of running-the-ball events in any Spanish city or town that is willing to change from the traditional bull.