Thousands of daredevils ran, skidded and tumbled out of the way of six charging bulls at the opening run of the San Fermin festival in Spain.

Monday was the first of nine morning runs during the famous celebrations held in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

The bulls pounded along the twisting cobblestone streets after being led by six steers. Up to 4,000 runners take part in each bull run, which takes place over 846 metres (2,775 feet) and can last three to four minutes.

Most runners wear the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with a red sash and neckerchief. The expert Spanish runners try to sprint just in front of the bulls’ horns for a few death-defying seconds while egging the animals on with a rolled newspaper.

Thousands of spectators watch from balconies and wooden barricades along the course. Millions more follow the visceral spectacle on live television.

While goring is not rare, many more people are bruised and injured in falls and pile-ups with each other. Medics rush in to treat the injured and take the seriously hurt to a hospital.

Unofficial records say at least 15 people have died in the bull runs over the past century. The deadliest day on record was July 13, 1980, when four runners were killed by two bulls. The last death was in 2009.

The rest of each day is for eating, drinking, dancing, and cultural entertainment, including bullfights, in which the animals that run in the morning are slain in the bullring by professional matadors each afternoon.

Advertisement

The festival was made internationally famous by Ernest Hemingway’s classic 1926 novel, The Sun Also Rises, about American bohemians wasting away in Europe.