The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona: in pictures

15 people have been killed taking part since records were first kept in 1924

A wild cow leaps over revellers into the bull ring after the second running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona

The Festival of San Fermin got underway in Pamplona with the traditional 'running of the bulls' .

The run, which was made famous by Ernest Hemmingway in his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises and which attracts thousands of tourists every year, is one of the most popular parts of the festival to honour Catholic Saint Fermin.

The 2 minute 14 seconds run which was shown at 8am on Spanish television. Three men, one Briton and two Americans, were gored in the race and at least eight other were taken to hospital.

Six "Jandillas", or flighting bulls, are released onto the narrow, ancient streets of Pamplona to chase participants before being killed by professional matadors in a bullfighting arena later that afternoon.

A total of 15 people have been killed taking part since records were first kept in 1924.

A runner falls in front of fighting bulls

Thousands of visitors participate in the running of the bulls, or encierro - where they attempt to outrun the bulls along a 825 meter route through the narrow streets of the old city

Mozos are chased by bulls

A fighting bull falls to the ground as it takes the Mercaderes curve

A wild cow leaps over revellers into the bull ring

A bull leaps over revellers

A runner is gored by a bull

The annual Fiesta de San Fermin, made famous by the 1926 novel of US writer Ernest Hemmingway entitled 'The Sun Also Rises', involves the daily running of the bulls through the historic heart of Pamplona to the bull ring

A Del Tajo la Reina's bull falls during the second "encierro"

Revellers run with the Tajo and the Reina's fighting bulls entering Estafeta street

Thousands of runners enter the bullring in Pamplona