Trampled by the bulls: Pamplona festival runners are gored and tossed around by rampaging beasts as they risk their lives in annual Spanish festival

Thousands of thrill seekers took connected nan Pamplona bull tally complete nan weekend, arsenic they looked to beryllium that they could outrun - aliases astatine slightest debar - rampaging fighting bulls.

While thousands avoided nan animals' horns, astatine slightest six group were injured yesterday, pinch 1 subordinate gored and 5 suffering bruising, section authorities sources successful nan Spanish metropolis said.

Dramatic pictures show participants stumbling and covering their heads arsenic they are trampled successful nan vulnerable title - which takes spot complete 850 metres done nan metropolis centre's constrictive streets.

Some of nan revellers goaded nan animals, leaving commentators saying it had been a occurrence no-one had been attacked and severely wounded aliases moreover killed.

Sixteen group person been killed astatine nan yearly show since records began successful 1910, astir precocious successful 2009, while galore much are injured arsenic they effort to outrun nan chaotic beasts.

The festivities, which see nan bull runs arsenic good arsenic concerts, belief processions and copious amounts of wine, were made celebrated by 1926 Ernest Hemingway caller 'The Sun Also Rises'.

On Sunday, a man was gored and different 5 rushed to infirmary pinch trauma injuries.

A 37-year-old man from Beriain adjacent Pamplona wherever nan yearly show takes spot each July suffered nan only gore injury, said to person been to his palate.

The different 5 casualties included a 54-year-old man from New York. All six runners who needed infirmary curen were males.

The curtain went up connected 9 days of festivities connected Saturday arsenic thousands filled nan city's main quadrate for nan 'chupinazo' - nan firecracker which launches an arena making love backmost to medieval times. 

Revellers dressed successful nan must-wear achromatic outfits pinch a reddish bandana astir their necks celebrated by soaking each different successful vino and sangria.

Sunday morning's 8am bull tally was nan first of 8 alleged encierros which is nan item of nan festival.

Two of nan six fighting bulls, led by six steers, became detached from nan remainder of nan group during nan half-mile tally done nan streets of Pamplona's aged town.

They remained successful nan bullring astatine nan extremity of nan people for much than a infinitesimal earlier ranchers guided them distant from runners massing astir them into pens.

The bulls that tally each greeting are killed successful nan day by master bullfighters.

Between 200 and 300 group are usually injured successful nan tally each twelvemonth astatine nan show during nan bull runs, often including foreigners from Britain, nan US and Australia.

The astir caller decease was successful 2009 erstwhile 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored successful nan cervix by a bull called Capuchino.

Animal authorities activists run against nan show each year, saying it is sadistic to animals who are goaded and past killed successful beforehand of baying crowds.