Spain-Inspired Great Bull Run Coming To US

The Great Bull Run is coming to the US this August and has been inspired by the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

Organizers of the event plan for several US cities to unleash bulls to sprint through fenced-in courses as daredevils sprint to avoid being trampled according to USA Today.

The Great Bull Run is set to begin on August 24 at a drag-racing strip south of Richmond Virginia.

A second event is planned for October 18 at an Atlanta-area horse park that hosted events for the 1996 Olympics, according to ABC News.

The report continues on to say hat more events are planned later for Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Bull Runs such as the Running of the Bulls in Spain and The Great Bull Run planned for the US are very controversial because of all the safety concerns for both the bulls and those choosing to run alongside them.

USA Today reported that thousands have already signed up for the event, and with phrases such as “Run With Real Bulls!” and “Grab Life By The Horns” plastered all over their webpages, it’s no wonder so many are gearing up to participate.

Is The Great Bull Run Taking Safety Seriously?

On the webpage for The Great Bull Run, they draw readers in by talking about how great the bull run is going to be.

They talk about how much fun the event is and how they are providing a cost-effective way for many to fulfill their dreams of partaking in an event like that held in Pamplona, Spain.

The site goes on to tell readers that running with bulls isn’t as dangerous as one might think:

Too scared to run with bulls? It’s not as dangerous as you think. In fact, there have been only 15 deaths in the Pamplona running of the bulls in the past 102 years! Even so, we’ve added significantly more safety precautions for The Great Bull Run so that ANYBODY can run and join in the fun!

What are these extra safety precautions that allow for “anybody” to run?

The information that the site provide is located in their FAQ’s section:

“Professional bull handlers will be stationed along the course to supervise the run and medical staff will be on site in case of injuries. However, you’re solely responsible for your own safety when you’re on the track. Although The Great Bull Run involves serious risks, participants can attempt to control the amount of danger they face during the run.”

From there the site explains to say that the bigger risk-takers should stay in the middle of the track and attempt to dodge the bulls as they pass.

For those seeking “some danger,” they should run along the edges of the track, and for those who want the least amount of risk should start their run in a nook and stay there until the bulls pass. See the chart provided by the site below:

The site goes on to say the following:

“By participating in the run, you accept the risk that you might be trampled, gored, rammed or tossed in the air by a bull, or bumped, jostled, tripped or trampled by your fellow runners. We do what we can to minimize those risks by using less-aggressive bulls than those used in Spain and allowing runners to hide in nooks and climb over the track fence if necessary, but make no mistake: you could get seriously injured in this event. That’s why there’s a mandatory insurance fee during the registration process and medical staff on site.”

So what do you think of The Great Bull Run that will be taking place in a variety of states in the US?

Should they be advertising this event as something “anyone” can participate in and do you think they are down playing the safety risks that are involved in an event such as The Great Bull Run?

[Image via Shutterstock/cynoclub]