Lorraine Williamson
Fourteen runners were injured during a crowded and dangerous fifth bull run at the San Fermín festival in Pamplona on Saturday morning. One man suffered a penetrating wound to the face from a bull’s horn, while others were treated for dislocations, sprains, heavy blows and other injuries.
The latest figures bring the number of people injured during the first five encierros of San Fermín 2026 to 46. Three runners have suffered horn wounds so far, although no deaths have been reported during this year’s festival.
Serious facial injury during Saturday’s run
Saturday’s encierro featured six bulls from the José Escolar breeding farm and lasted two minutes and 36 seconds. It was the longest and most accident-filled of the first five runs, with the weekend drawing particularly large numbers of participants onto Pamplona’s narrow streets.
The initial medical report recorded nine casualties, but the figure was later increased to 14. The most serious case involved a runner who suffered a penetrating horn wound to the face, while the other injuries were caused by falls, collisions and contact with the animals.
Runners caught between bulls and crowds
The herd left the pens relatively close together but gradually split into smaller groups as it moved through the historic centre. This created prolonged moments of danger, as runners who believed the main group had passed suddenly found further bulls approaching behind them.
Several people fell or became trapped between the animals, the guiding steers and other participants. Footage from the run showed one man caught briefly between a bull and a steer before managing to escape, while further pile-ups developed along some of the narrowest sections of the route.
RTVE described the fifth encierro as the most crowded and incident-filled run of the festival so far. Saturday and Sunday mornings traditionally attract more participants, increasing the risk of falls, bottlenecks and people being unable to move out of the bulls’ path.
How many people have been injured at San Fermín 2026?
Across the first five bull runs, 46 people have been injured, and 35 have required treatment at the Hospital Universitario de Navarra. Those taken to hospital were all men, ranging in age from 18 to 74.
Three runners have sustained wounds caused directly by bulls’ horns. One was described as a minor puncture, while the two more serious gorings affected the left arm and the face.
The remaining casualties have suffered fractures, dislocations, sprains, cuts, bruising and trauma after being struck, falling onto the road or colliding with walls, barriers and other runners. No fatalities have been recorded during the festival so far.
Two runners from Friday remain in hospital
Two men injured during Friday’s fourth encierro remained in hospital on Saturday with serious injuries. A 65-year-old man from Córdoba was being treated for a bilateral pneumothorax, where both lungs partially or completely collapse, together with bruising to the lungs.
A 63-year-old man from Zizur Mayor in Navarra was also still receiving treatment for a fractured left hip. Friday’s run, involving bulls from the Álvaro Núñez breeding farm, lasted two minutes and 32 seconds and left nine people injured.
Injuries reported throughout the festival
Five people were injured during the opening encierro on Tuesday, 7 July, including runners treated for a head injury, leg trauma and a sprained ankle. The second run produced the festival’s first horn wound, before another participant suffered a more serious goring to the left arm during Thursday’s third encierro.
Fifteen people were injured during that third run, making it one of the most serious mornings of the festival. Friday brought a further nine casualties, followed by the 14 reported during Saturday’s particularly crowded race.
Why are the San Fermín bull runs dangerous?
The encierro follows a route of around 875 metres from the pens at Santo Domingo to Pamplona’s bullring. Participants run alongside six fighting bulls and several steers, which are used to guide the herd through the old town.
The animals are only one part of the risk. Many injuries happen when runners fall, collide with walls, are trampled by other participants or become trapped in pile-ups with little room to escape.
Weekend runs are often more hazardous because of the number of people taking part. More than 2,000 runners may enter the route on a normal morning, with the figure potentially doubling on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pamplona’s rules prohibit participants from carrying mobile phones, cameras or other recording equipment while running. Municipal police said 54 pairs of smart glasses had been confiscated during the first five encierros from people apparently attempting to film from inside the route.
Fines for prohibited or dangerous behaviour can range from several hundred euros to as much as €60,000.
Three bull runs remain
The sixth encierro begins at 8.00 am on Sunday, 12 July and will feature bulls from the La Palmosilla breeding farm. Medical teams will again be stationed at points along the route to provide immediate treatment and transfer injured runners to hospital where necessary.
Three runs remain before the San Fermín celebrations end on Tuesday, 14 July. The festival will close that evening with the traditional Pobre de Mí ceremony, when crowds gather in Pamplona to mark the end of nine days of celebrations.
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