The northern city of Pamplona is into its second day of ‘encierros,’ the dangerous races that were made globally famous by the writer Ernest Hemingway and which continue to attract visitors from all over the world
Runners try to avoid the bulls’ horns during the second morning of the ‘encierros’ at the San Fermín festival in Pamplona on Wednesday.Miguel Oses (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)Runners and bulls from the famous Cebada Gago breeders enter the bullring in Pamplona after concluding the run.Villar López (EFE)Runners, called ‘mozos’, run beside the bulls in the last stretch before reaching the bullring, where the animals will be fought in the afternoon. Pablo LasaosaRunners and bulls from the Cádiz-based breeders Cebada Gago make their way along Mercaderes and Estafeta streets. Jesús Diges (EFE)One of the bulls slips on the cobblestones and falls during the second ‘encierro.’ The stones are treated with a non-skid product ahead of the runs to make them less dangerous than in the past.Pablo LasaosaBulls from the Cebada Gago breeders, famous for their speed, reached the end of the run in 2m 26s, slightly slower than last year.Villar López (EFE)Although the Cebada Gago bulls have a reputation for being unpredictable, on this occasion the herd stuck close together and made a clean run from beginning to end.J.P. Urdiroz (EFE)Some runners touch the bulls as they make their way to the ring at the end of the run. Pablo LasaosaAlberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s main opposition party (PP), dressed in traditional garb and watching the run from a balcony on Wednesday morning. Diego Puerta (PP)A horn grazes the back of a runner during the second ‘encierro’ of the San Fermín festival in Pamplona. Three people required medical assistance at the end of the run.Miguel Oses (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)Despite instructions to leave the animals alone, some of the runners touch them as they go by. These fighting bulls can weigh in the range of 600 kilograms (1300 lb).Pablo LasaosaIt is a tradition for the ‘mozos’ to hold a rolled-up newspaper in their hand as they run, as well as wearing white clothes and a red neckerchief. Daniel Fernández Pérez (EFE)Runners are asked to follow a set of safety rules that includes not recording with their phones as they run, wearing the right footwear, and not running under the effects of alcohol or drugs.J.P. Urdiroz (EFE)Red Cross volunteers see to a fallen runner after the second run on Wednesday morning. No major injuries were reported.Eduardo Sanz (Europa Press)A runner protects his head and belly after falling in front of the herd. The average runner in the San Fermín festival is a 28-year-old male.Miguel Oses (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)Employees prepare the fences before the second encierro of the 2026 San Fermin festival. Workers put up 2.700 wooden boards and 900 pickets.Vincent West (REUTERS)Local police officers stand in front of the runners ahead of the second encierro on Wednesday morning.Pablo Lasaosa
