Story perspectives

British Tourist Hospitalized, Elderly Man Dies in Pamplona Bull Run

7/11/2026

Summary

Mitchinson Trampled

British tourist William Mitchinson, 24, was rushed to Navarra University Hospital after being trampled in the Pamplona bull run.
Ten participants and a 70-year-old man were taken to hospital, with the latter dying after a cardiac arrest on Estafeta Street.
The festival, running until July 14 and dating back over 400 years, has caused 16 deaths, most recently in 2009 when Daniel Jimeno, 27, was fatally gored.

Summary

San Fermín Charge

The fifth San Fermín bull run on Saturday, July 11 lasted 2 minutes 36 seconds as the bulls thundered through Pamplona’s narrow cobblestone streets.
Organizers schedule a daily morning charge for a full week, drawing thousands of spectators to the historic centre.
Jose Escolar’s renowned fighting-bull herd supplied the animals for the San Fermín festivities.
The narrow cobblestone streets increase the risk of falls and trampling for participants during the charge.

Summary

Madrid Lawmakers Ban

Madrid lawmakers are expected to speed up proposals to ban the San Fermín bull runs after Saturday’s high casualty count.
The 2026 festival marks the centenary of Ernest Hemingway’s *The Sun Also Rises*, which made the event famous worldwide.
The encierro provides substantial revenue for Navarre, driving local tourism and hospitality income.
Critics compare Pamplona’s engineered danger to Kenya’s regulated wildlife tourism, saying the tradition harms both people and animals.

History

Historical Context

In the early 14th century locals began herding bulls through Pamplona’s streets to the bullring. King Philip II’s 1591 council decree fixed the route and timing—about two minutes thirty seconds—that still defines the San Fermín encierro. Hemingway’s 1926 novel popularized it, and since records began in 1910 the run has caused 15 deaths, most recently a 2009 goring.

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Mitchinson Trampled

British tourist William Mitchinson, 24, was rushed to Navarra University Hospital after being trampled in the Pamplona bull run.
Ten participants and a 70-year-old man were taken to hospital, with the latter dying after a cardiac arrest on Estafeta Street.
The festival, running until July 14 and dating back over 400 years, has caused 16 deaths, most recently in 2009 when Daniel Jimeno, 27, was fatally gored.

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