bull run Spain
2 Spaniards gored as San Fermin festival ends with final bull run
Spain's famous San Fermin festival ended on Tuesday with two Spanish runners being gored during the eighth and final bull run.
An 18-year-old man from Pamplona was gored in the thigh at the first bend of the route after a bull charged into a small group of runners. The animal knocked two men onto the cobblestone street and tossed another over its horns.
A 46-year-old man from central Spain was gored in the chest near the end of the route, where the path narrows before entering the bullring. The bulls are later killed there by matadors during the day's bullfights.
Both injured men were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Eight other runners, including an 86-year-old British man, received medical care for minor injuries.
The six fighting bulls, accompanied by steers, completed the 875-metre route from the holding pen to the bullring in about two and a half minutes. Their speed often catches runners off guard, especially with more than a thousand people packed into the narrow streets.
The last death during the San Fermin bull runs occurred in 2009. However, serious injuries, including gorings and broken bones, remain common as many first-time participants and foreign tourists join experienced local runners. Many injuries also happen when frightened runners fall.
This year's San Fermin festival marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, which helped bring the festival worldwide recognition.
7 days ago