Four women runners were caught in a dangerous moment during Monday’s San Fermín encierro in Pamplona, when Miura bulls surged through the final stretch toward the bullring. Caught off guard by the animals’ rapid approach along the right side of the route, the runners could not move aside in time. One bull collided with the group, sending some of the women into the wooden barriers and onto the ground as spectators watched in tense silence.
None of the four suffered a goring. They escaped with abrasions and bruises, and Red Cross volunteers treated at least one of them immediately. The collision was among the most striking moments of the run, whose fast approach to the bullring makes it a particularly hazardous part of the route. Coverage by Orsolya Gazdagi for El Caso/El Nacional reported eight people injured in the seventh encierro and no injuries caused by a bull’s horn. That event-wide figure is distinct from the four women involved in this collision.
Another dangerous moment came when a young woman who had fallen at the bullring entrance stood up just as the bulls passed. Rising as the animals approached increased the immediate risk of a serious accident; she emerged unscathed.
This year’s San Fermín has already seen several high-speed runs and dangerous situations. A recent encierro with La Palmosilla bulls resulted in ten injuries, as detailed in coverage of the La Palmosilla bull run. The Miura herd is traditionally associated with demanding, fast-moving encierros, and the incident again underscored the danger runners face on the final stretch into the Pamplona bullring.
San Fermín’s encierros are a central tradition in Pamplona, drawing participants and spectators each year. Medical teams and volunteers are stationed along the route to respond to injuries. The spectacle’s history and excitement coexist with the risks of running among the bulls, whose movement can change rapidly in the confined streets and at the bullring entrance.
