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Serious runners, referred to by the cognoscenti of the fiesta as "los divinos"
-- the divine ones -- because of their ability to survive close brushes with death, would never attempt to touch the animals. The ornery beasts used in this centuries-old fiesta can weigh some 500-plus kilogram (1,100-pounds) and have killed 15 people since record keeping began in 1924. The most recent such tragedy came in 2009 when a young Spaniard was gored in the neck as he tried to escape a bull by sliding feet-first under a fence separating the course from the crowd watching the run. It was the first death at San Fermin in nearly 15 years. "Spain is different to anything I've experienced before," said Michael Arraztoa, 25, from Bakersfield, California. He said his dad was from originally from Irurita, not far from Pamplona, and that he, too, was over on summer vacation. The 8 a.m. runs take place daily until July 14 with each charge broadcast on state television. And then, on the afternoon of each day, the same bulls face matadors in the ring.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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