Runner Gored, 12 Injured at Spain’s San Fermin Bull Run

POLICY WIRE — Pamplona, Spain — A runner was gored in the face and at least 12 other individuals sustained injuries during a bull run at Spain’s San Fermin festival on Saturday. The incident occurred during the fifth morning run of the eight-day event in Pamplona.

The University of Navarra Hospital confirmed that 12 people required medical treatment for various injuries, in addition to the runner gored by a bull horn. Six bulls — and accompanying steers navigated the narrow street course, which was crowded with participants. A black bull separated from the main group early in the 875-meter (957-yard) run, striking one individual in the face with a horn. The report didn’t specify if this was the exact moment of the goring. Stumbling runners contributed to several pileups on the cobblestone streets during the approximately two-and-a-half-minute event, which concludes at the bull ring where the animals are later killed.

Gorings and broken bones are common occurrences at the San Fermin bull runs, partly attributed to the presence of numerous novice runners and foreign tourists participating alongside experienced locals. The last fatality at the festival’s bull runs was recorded in 2009. Americans constitute the largest group of foreign participants, with 16% of bull runners in 2022 originating from the United States, a figure four times higher than participants from France, Pamplona’s City Hall reported.

This year’s festival coincides with the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises.” The book is credited with elevating the San Fermin festival to international prominence. Bill Hillmann, a Chicago resident who has been gored three times while running with bulls, stated that Hemingway’s depiction of the festival inspired him to become a writer and a bull runner. Hillmann, who now teaches “The Sun Also Rises” at East-West University in Chicago, noted that the high percentage of inexperienced foreign runners contributes to the danger of the Pamplona bull runs. He recounted a severe goring in 2014 and told the Associated Press (AP) from his hospital bed in 2017 that he wouldn’t cease running, stating, People think this is just crazy people running. There is real art. If you pay attention, you can see it.

Bruce Anderson, a Dallas-based tour operator whose company facilitates American attendance at San Fermin, stated that Hemingway’s work established the festival as a bucket-list destination. Anderson reported that his company is bringing 1,400 people to the festival this year, with over two-thirds from the United States. Fernando Hualde, a former receptionist at the Perla Hotel, where Hemingway frequently stayed, stated that Hemingway did a lot for Pamplona because he made it known around the world.

Hemingway’s legacy in Pamplona is not without criticism. Animal welfare activist Brook Spurling stated during a protest against the bullfights that “Hemingway wrote about many, many themes that today would not be accepted into society.” Local literature professor Gabriel Insausti of Pamplona’s University of Navarra stated that Hemingway has become a product of a franchise associated with San Fermin festival that has obscured his novel. Pamplona, with 200,000 residents, receives over a million visitors during the festival, with approximately 15% from abroad, many of whom, particularly younger visitors, engage in excessive drinking, according to the report.