A chaotic scene unfolded on Saturday during the fifth morning of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, as a runner was gored in the face by a bull. Saturday’s was the fifth morning run of the eight-day festival in northern Spain. According to reports from the University of Navarra Hospital, 12 other individuals required medical attention for various injuries sustained during the high-stakes event. The run, which spanned 957 yards from the pen to the bull ring, lasted approximately two-and-a-half minutes.
The incident occurred as six bulls and their accompanying steers navigated the narrow, crowded streets of the city. The animals knocked several participants to the cobblestones, triggering multiple pileups among the throngs of runners. In one instance, a black bull became separated from the main group early in the route and charged into a crowd, striking a person in the side of the face with its horn. Many participants appeared oblivious to the proximity of the animals, which were observed shoving runners aside rather than goring them in several instances.
Among those injured was an American man from Florida who sustained a compound ankle fracture. Ander Etxanobe, a resident of Miami Beach, stated that despite suffering some of the most severe injuries of his decade-long experience with the festival, he remains undeterred. “By no means does a broken leg or a broken ankle, in my case, or whatever it is, break my spirit, break my corazón, my heart,” Etxanobe remarked.
This year’s edition of the festival marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises,” a work credited with bringing international fame to the event. While no deaths have been reported at the bull runs since 2009, injuries such as gorings and broken bones remain frequent occurrences, largely attributed to the mix of experienced locals and inexperienced tourists participating in the tradition. Later in the day, the bulls involved in the run were scheduled to be killed by bullfighters.
Updated on: July 11, 2026 / 7:10 PM EDT / CBS/AP
