An 86-year-old British man from Halesowen in the West Midlands was among 57 people injured while participating in the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona, northern Spain. The man was taken to hospital on Tuesday, the final morning of the eight-day Sanfermines event, after sustaining injuries to his right hand, left elbow, and right eyebrow. A festival spokesperson stated that the man, who has not been named, was being assessed by doctors but is not believed to be seriously hurt.
Festival Details and Injuries
The annual Sanfermines festival, known for its encierro or bull run, attracts participants from around the globe who race through Pamplona's narrow streets ahead of six bulls. Each run begins at 8am, with participants dressed in white and red neckerchiefs sprinting 848.6 metres from a holding pen to the city's bullring. On the final day, two Spaniards were gored: an 18-year-old local man in the left thigh and a 46-year-old man from Guadalajara in central Spain who suffered a horn wound to the chest. Neither was gravely injured.
Historical Context
While trampling and gorings are common, at least 16 deaths have occurred during runs over the past 116 years. The last fatality was Daniel Jimeno Romero, a 27-year-old from Alcalá de Henares, who was fatally gored in the neck and lung in 2009. The festival was immortalised in Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, which depicts American and British expats attending the event.
