The pile-ups on the running of the bulls

These pile-ups are due to some people falling over and starting of the run a chain-reaction in the tight field which is going so fast and with the entrance so tight, causes a sudden pile-up of bodies.

Usually they take place in the very same part: the Callejon, a very narrow side where the runners pass very fast. Luckily, these pile-ups don´t occur too often- the last great one took place in 1977.

But when they happen it is something really frightening. The bulls pile over the bodies causing havoc, or they turn back up the passageway (equally dangerous). There is usually a long list of wounded runners in the cases - and maybe even some dead.

An outline of the pile-ups biggers

1922. 7th of July. There is a pile-up at the entrance to the ring. The bulls, whipped on by the drovers, climb over the fallen bodies and enter the ring. There were about one 100 wounded.

1943. 7th of July. Once again, a pile-up at the entrance. But this time the bulls hesitated to cross over the bodies which caused the people running behind to turn back and thus causing a another pile-up at the other end of the passageway. The bulls were loose in between the two trapped piles of bodies.

1960. 7th of July. At the exit of Estafeta street. One of the bulls charged into the pile and there were some 20 runners wounded.

1970. 8th of July. A pile-up took place at the entrance tp the ring, 40 people were hurt and one person was seriously injured. There they were, John Fulton, the US matador, and Gerry Dawes. You can check out the confirmation at gerrydawesspain.com 

1975. 9th of July. At the entrance to the bull-ring. The meek heifers crossed over the fallen bodies but the bulls turned back at first. When they came back they opened up space with their horns. There was one death and 16 seriously-injured runners. More than one hundred other runners suffered contusions.

1977. 8th of July. At the entrance there was a big pile-up which caused one death from suffocation. There were another 35 runners wounded.

2004. 12 de julio. Jandilla. A la entrada del callejón. La manada pasa por encima. Dos toros se dan la vuelta. Un toro rojo deja tres heridos por asta y uno negro empito por cinco veces Julen Madina y lo deja herido grave.

2008. 13 de julio. Uno de los últimos. Bajada de Telefónica. Montón sin heridos de asta de toro pero muchos contusionados.

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