An 86-year-old British man, from Halesowen in the West Midlands, was one of 10 people injured on the final day of the San Fermin festival on July 14. The tourist sustained multiple injuries, including a goring to his left elbow and wounds to his eyebrow and right hand.
He was the oldest participant to be injured at the festival this year. His hospitalization came as a 24-year-old Briton, William Mitchinson, was also hospitalized after being knocked down while attempting to outrun the bulls. Mitchinson, who suffered an ankle injury, stated he was inspired to participate after seeing the festival on social media and noted it was his first visit to Pamplona.
Officials confirmed that two other runners sustained goring injuries during the final run, which lasted two minutes and 25 seconds. One individual was gored in the chest, and another in the thigh.
Incidents During the Festival
The festival, held annually in Pamplona, northern Spain, features eight consecutive mornings of bull runs. The narrow, 850-meter route through the city's old town sees participants attempt to run alongside the bulls from their corral to the bullring. Gorings and broken bones are not uncommon, often attributed to a mix of novice runners and foreign tourists participating alongside experienced locals.
In one incident during an earlier run on July 11, a bull broke away from the pack and charged a group of four men, with one appearing to hit his head on the ground as he fell. A black bull was also seen breaking away from the group on July 14. During the July 11 run, one participant was gored in the face, and a total of 12 people required medical attention.
Thousands of people from around the world attend the week-long San Fermin festival each year. Brits typically make up about four percent of the international participants. The festival's international fame was significantly boosted by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel, 'The Sun Also Rises.'
The most recent fatality at the festival occurred in 2009, when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno was gored in the neck. A total of sixteen people have died during the bull runs since the festival's history has been recorded.
In addition to the bull runs, the San Fermin festival includes parades, music, religious ceremonies, and round-the-clock street festivities. The final day of this year's festival also coincided with celebrations for the World Cup.