The first encierro of San Fermín 2026 in Pamplona ended abruptly for Lucas Cordero, a 34-year-old runner from Mallabia, Bizkaia. Despite years of experience and careful preparation, Cordero had to leave the festivities after another participant stepped on him in the crowded Telefónica stretch, spraining his left ankle. Medical teams took him to the Hospital Universitario de Navarra, where doctors initially classified the injury as minor.
The opening run featured bulls from the Fuente Ymbro ranch. El Caso described the encierro as “fast and clean,” with no bull-goring injuries reported. That account distinguishes the absence of horn injuries from other incidents on the route, including Cordero’s ankle injury. The injury cut short his planned San Fermín holiday, and he faces a lengthy recovery before returning to daily runs and rugby.
Cordero, who has participated in five San Fermín encierros, said he was frustrated by the growing number of inexperienced runners. He said overcrowding and a lack of preparation among some participants contributed to dangerous situations, pushing seasoned runners closer to the bulls. The incident happened near the end of the route, shortly after Cordero jumped over a fallen black bull. Another runner stepped on him, causing immediate pain and swelling.
For Cordero, San Fermín is more than a tradition: it is a family legacy. He typically runs the challenging stretch between the Ayuntamiento and the bullring, where positioning is impressive. His grandfather also ran in the encierros, and Cordero has taken part in runs in Lodosa and other towns in southern Navarra. This year, his involvement ended after the opening run.
San Fermín’s encierros are known for their intensity and unpredictability. The event’s popularity has raised concerns about safety and crowd management, particularly as more visitors join the tradition. Similar public-safety and emergency-response concerns have emerged in other Spanish cities, including during the evacuation of buildings in Barcelona’s Putxet district after a large sinkhole was discovered, as reported in coverage of the Barcelona incident.
San Fermín remains a defining moment in Pamplona’s calendar, bringing deep-rooted customs into contact with modern challenges. Cordero’s experience reflects the tension between tradition and safety as authorities and participants handle changing conditions at one of Spain’s most iconic festivals.
