At 8 a.m. sharp, rockets are fired to signal the start of the Bull Run. Six fighting bulls are released from their pen. Humans and bulls then begin a mad race through the cobbled streets of Pamplona, ending up in the central bull ring.
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Outside the ring —
The entire run covers 850 meters and is usually finished in just more than 3 minutes. This year's first run took 4 minutes and 6 seconds, a relatively long time compared with previous years. The cause of the delay? A bull left outside the ring as people blocked its path.
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Death in the afternoon —
Once inside the bull ring, the animals face matadors in afternoon bullfights. The bulls will almost certainly meet their deaths in the ring.
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Spanish symbol —
The Running of the Bulls -- part of the annual San Fermín Festival -- has become a popular symbol of Spanish culture, attracting thousands of tourists a year.
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Risk of goring —
Most injuries result from being trampled by the crowd or the bulls, rather than being gored. Last year, of the 38 participants hospitalized at the end of the run, four had been gored. Hundreds of people were treated at the scene for mild injuries.
