By Joseph Wilson and Miguel Oses
Spain’s PAMPLONA (AP) At the San Ferm n festival’s inaugural run on Monday, thousands of daredevils sprinted, skidded, and fell to avoid a stampeding herd of bulls.
It was the first of nine encierros, or morning runs, that took place during the well-known festivities in Pamplona, a city in northern Spain.
Six steers guided the bulls as they roared through the winding cobblestone alleyways. Each bull run, which spans 846 meters (2,775 feet) and can last two to four minutes, attracts up to 4,000 runners.
The majority of runners dress traditionally in white pants and a shirt with a red neckerchief and ribbon. A rolled newspaper is used to encourage the bull as the skilled Spanish runners attempt to run right in front of its horns for a few heart-stopping seconds.
Along the course, thousands of people watched from wooden barricades and balconies. On live television, millions more watch the intense spectacle.
Following the customary Chupinazo firework display on Sunday, the celebration began with participants dousing each other with red or sparkling wine.
Gorings are not uncommon, but falls and pileups with one another cause much more injuries and bruises. Medical personnel arrive quickly to treat the wounded and transport the most seriously ill to a hospital.
A few revelers were hurt, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pa’s on Monday, however it was unclear if the injuries were from gorings.
According to unofficial sources, during the past century, at least 15 individuals have perished in bull runs. When two bulls killed four runners on July 13, 1980, it was the worst day ever recorded. 2009 saw the most recent fatality.
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The remainder of the day is spent eating, drinking, dancing, and enjoying traditional events like bull fights, in which professional matadors kill the morning’s running beasts in the bull ring every afternoon.
There are many that criticize the festival. Animal rights activists protested the San Fermin bull races on Saturday by marching through Pamplona while donning horns and fake blood. Some displayed signs declaring that bullfights are sinful.
Ernest Hemingway’s iconic 1926 book The Sun Also Rises, which tells the story of American bohemians who die in Europe, is credited with making the event famous throughout the world.
Wilson reported from Spain’s Barcelona.
