Foto: Iñaki Vergara
The Miura bulls were true to their cast in this last Running of the Bulls of Sanfermin 2017 as they cleaned up all before them on the course. They did not make any concessions as they swept all before them, particularly, on the Telefonica stretch where they charged along the fencing on the right side and swept up the whole group of runners gathered there.
The first medical report issued by the Navarra Hospital Complex, indicates that there were six runners being treated for injuries on the Santo Domingo, Telefonica, Estafeta and Mercaderes stretches of the course. All the injuries are due to contusions and heavy bruising and falls and none of the runners seemed to have suffered a goring. However, some of the injuries could be serious and at the moment these runners are undergoing a complete examination and evaluation.
This last Running of the Bulls has shared a common denominator with the event over the whole week of Sanfermin 2017. That is to say, a very fast bullrunning where the bulls largely ignored the runners and raced through the course, sweeping all before them. Today was the fastest of all, where the Miura bulls took just 2 min. 10 sec. to cover the whole course.
The bulls came out of the pens in Santo Domingo in a compact group and immediately set a very fast pace as they charged up the slope, causing some injuries to runners on this stretch. As they reached the corner of Mercaderes, the bulls crashed into the fencing but none of them slipped up or fell.
As the bulls entered Estafeta, the leading bulls charged ahead leaving the bell-oxen behind and the runners in disarray. Many runners were knocked or fell in front of the charging bulls but the bulls did not attempt to charge the runners with their horns and again some runners were injured from falls and knocks. Here on this Estafeta stretch some of the runners displayed some fine skills in front of the horns although they could not maintain their position very long in the face of the frenetic pace of the bulls.
At theTelefónica stretch, the bulls were running in a tight pack and they gradually pulled towards the right side of the fencing and, at the bend leading down into the bullring, the bulls knocked and tossed half a dozen runners as they swept all before them.
It seems that the Running of the Bulls came off without causing any gorings, although it is likely that some of the injuries will need hospital treatment. These heavy bulls stepped on some of the runners in Mercaderes, Estafeta and at the entrance leading into the bullring and while there were no gorings it is clear that some of the knocks and falls will require prolonged medical treatment.