A San Fermín encierro in Pamplona ended with a US runner gored and 14 others injured. The Victoriano del Río bulls completed the course in just 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Medical teams responded quickly to multiple incidents.
The third running of the bulls at San Fermín in Pamplona was marked by a serious incident on Thursday morning, as a US participant suffered a goring in the Telefónica section. Emergency services also treated fourteen other runners for various injuries during a high-speed encierro that lasted only 2 minutes and 22 seconds. The event, featuring bulls from the renowned Victoriano del Río ranch, drew attention for both the pace and the number of medical interventions required.
From the start, the Victoriano del Río bulls demonstrated exceptional physical condition, quickly overtaking the experienced cabestros after the Santo Domingo slope. The herd moved as a tight, unified group, but a slip by one bull before the curve created the first gaps in the pack. As the bulls rounded the Mercaderes corner, they cleared the left sidewalk, narrowly missing a runner in a blue shirt. The most intense moments unfolded on Estafeta street, where a fall involving three bulls split the herd, allowing two bulls and the cabestros to surge ahead while four others followed closely behind.
Several runners were knocked down or trampled, including one who was hit by a cabestro and another who fell directly in front of a bull, which managed to leap over him and avoid a more serious incident. Despite the chaos, none of the bulls delivered direct horn thrusts in Estafeta, though the risk remained high due to the number of falls and the proximity of runners to the animals. In the Telefónica section, the bulls showed brief signs of aggression toward the right side, but did not pursue anyone. Some runners standing near the barriers were nonetheless knocked over as the herd passed.
The final stretch into the bullring was tense, with the bulls entering in a line and separated enough for runners to attempt last-minute sprints. Medical teams reported a total of fifteen injuries, with the most severe being the goring of the American runner in Telefónica. Other injuries included multiple contusions in Mercaderes, Estafeta, and Espoz y Mina. The draw for the evening's bullfight will feature these same Victoriano del Río bulls, with Talavante, Roca Rey—making his first of two appearances—and David de Miranda scheduled to perform.
Safety concerns at San Fermín have been heightened in recent years, especially as crowding and the speed of the bulls increase the risk of serious injuries. This latest incident follows a pattern seen in previous editions, such as when a Basque runner was forced to leave the festival after being trampled during the opening encierro, as detailed in a recent report on another San Fermín injury.
San Fermín remains one of Spain's most iconic festivals, attracting thousands of participants and spectators from around the world. The encierro is both a cultural tradition and a significant logistical challenge for local authorities, who coordinate medical teams, security, and crowd control each morning. The Victoriano del Río ranch, known for producing bulls with a balance of bravery and nobility, has been a fixture in Pamplona for fifteen years. The combination of athletic animals and dense crowds continues to test the limits of safety and tradition at this celebrated event.
