Pamplona says 'Ole' as bulls hit the stride
Source: Agencies |
July 8, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THOUSANDS of daredevils dashed through Pamplona's historic old quarter yesterday for a goring-free first bull run at the San Fermin fiesta, a raucous event that ushers in Spain's summer party season.
The thrill-seekers raced to keep ahead of six fighting bulls and six bell-tinkling steers tasked with trying to keep the beasts together along the 850-meter course from a holding pen to the bull ring in the northern Spanish city.
Several runners were knocked to the ground and some were trampled on by the animals weighing more than 500 kilograms but there were no gorings or life-threatening injuries.
An 18-year-old man from Melbourne, Australia, suffered an eye injury and a 20-year old Spaniard suffered multiple contusions, Navarra state government said. Both were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered serious. They were identified only by their initials.
The 8am daily run is the highlight of the nine-day street drinking festival and comes after a full day and night of hard partying.
Dozens of runners, dressed in the festival's traditional white shirts and pants with red sashes, sang a chant to a statue of San Fermin at the start of the route seconds before a firecracker rocket blast signaled the release of the bulls from the pen.
The run, broadcast live on national television, lasted two minutes and 45 seconds, a relatively fast sprint that saw the bulls staying together and paying little attention to the runners.
Alfonso Gamboa didn't run but said the race was considered a good one because the bulls stayed in a tight pack.
"They went quickly and together, and because of that the people could run well," said Gamboa, 50, a Pamplona businessman. "It was pretty."
The bulls that ran yesterday morning would be killed in the evening in the bull ring, and their meat served up in Pamplona's restaurants.
The thrill-seekers raced to keep ahead of six fighting bulls and six bell-tinkling steers tasked with trying to keep the beasts together along the 850-meter course from a holding pen to the bull ring in the northern Spanish city.
Several runners were knocked to the ground and some were trampled on by the animals weighing more than 500 kilograms but there were no gorings or life-threatening injuries.
An 18-year-old man from Melbourne, Australia, suffered an eye injury and a 20-year old Spaniard suffered multiple contusions, Navarra state government said. Both were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered serious. They were identified only by their initials.
The 8am daily run is the highlight of the nine-day street drinking festival and comes after a full day and night of hard partying.
Dozens of runners, dressed in the festival's traditional white shirts and pants with red sashes, sang a chant to a statue of San Fermin at the start of the route seconds before a firecracker rocket blast signaled the release of the bulls from the pen.
The run, broadcast live on national television, lasted two minutes and 45 seconds, a relatively fast sprint that saw the bulls staying together and paying little attention to the runners.
Alfonso Gamboa didn't run but said the race was considered a good one because the bulls stayed in a tight pack.
"They went quickly and together, and because of that the people could run well," said Gamboa, 50, a Pamplona businessman. "It was pretty."
The bulls that ran yesterday morning would be killed in the evening in the bull ring, and their meat served up in Pamplona's restaurants.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
