San Fermin bull run draws thousands of thrill seekers

Daredevils ran, skidded and tumbled out of the way of a stampeding group of bulls

Last updated: July 07, 2026 | 13:36

Virendra Saklani, Chief Visual Journalist

1 MIN READ

Participants run ahead of bulls from the Fuente Ymbro bull ranch during the first running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 7, 2026. Thousands of people every year attend the week-long festival and its famous 'encierros', or running of the bulls, in which six bulls are released at 8:00 a.m. evey day to run from their corral to the bullring through the narrow streets of the old town over an 850 meters (yards) course while runners ahead of them try to stay close to the bulls without falling over or being gored.

AFP

Most runners wear the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with red sash and neckerchief. The expert Spanish runners try to sprint just in front of the bull’s horns for a few death-defying seconds while egging the animal on with a rolled newspaper.

Thousands of spectators watched from balconies and wooden barricades along the course. Millions more follow the visceral spectacle on live television.

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San Fermin bull run draws thousands of thrill seekers

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