San Fermín's fifth bull run injures up to 13, face goring reported in crowded Saturday encierro

Saturday crowds and high temperatures

The fifth encierro of the 2026 San Fermín festival drew large numbers of runners on a Saturday marked by high temperatures. The run started punctually at 8:00 after the three traditional chants, as Europa Press reported. The course, from the Santo Domingo pens to the Plaza de Toros, was packed, leading to numerous falls, particularly at the sharp Telefónica narrowing. The entire dash lasted 2 minutes and 36 seconds, a fast time that contributed to the chaotic nature of the event.

A bull takes the lead, goring a runner

A bull from the José Escolar herd, described by El Mundo as muy abierto de cara (very wide-horned), quickly pushed ahead after the Santo Domingo hill, ploughing through runners on the right side near the Town Hall. It hit one runner in the face with its horn, causing a goring wound. Before reaching the Mercaderes curve, the animal attacked a veteran runner and then slammed into the protective boards, losing time that allowed it to rejoin the herd. In Estafeta, where the pack remained united behind the swift lead oxen, a runner was caught between a bull and an ox but managed a sprint to escape with the herd bearing down from behind.

The bulls, with impressive nobility, did not go for the stationary runners nor those lying down.

Herd splits and final stretch

Toward the end of Estafeta, the pack broke into two groups, with the last three bulls dividing into a subgroup of two and one following. Runners managed to grab the bulls' horns despite the dense crowds lining the margins. At the Telefónica bottleneck, many participants fell, but the bulls showed no aggression toward the stationary or fallen. The six animals entered the arena in single file, ignoring the stimuli inside the ring.

Conflicting injury totals: 9 or 13 wounded

Medical reports diverge on the number of injured. El Mundo, citing the official medical assistance report, recorded nine cases: one goring to the face, one facial wound, and seven contusions, some affecting the head (four sustained inside the bullring). Europa Press initially put the total at 13 injured, including one with a face goring. Both sources agree on at least one horn wound, bringing the number of gorings in the 2026 Sanfermines to two across five runs.

Afternoon corrida with award-winning bulls

The José Escolar bulls, which received the prize for the most complete bullfight of 2025, will be fought at 18:30 by matadors Antonio Ferrera, Isaac Fonseca and Juan de Castilla. The six bulls from the Ávila ranch are Cantito (590 kilos), Carpintero (610 kilos), Chismoso (615 kilos), Secretario (570 kilos), Tomillero (595 kilos) and Campanero (600 kilos). This run marked the ranch's tenth participation in the Pamplona festival.