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CNN Live Today

Time of Year For the Running of the Bulls

Aired July 08, 2002 - 11:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Its that time of year again when the foolhardy run with the bulls at Pamplona, Spain. The eight-day event has became an international phenomenon since Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in "The Sun Also Rises." It's fun to watch from a distance, like from Atlanta. That's a good distance. Being at horn level is a completely different experience as our Al Goodman shows us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Feeling like you haven't been in enough tight spots lately, suffering from a lack of adrenaline. Well, maybe Pamplona's Running of the Bulls is the place for you.

(on camera): There are a lot of safety tips about running with the bulls. One of the most important ones is that if you fall to the ground, you stay down, because the bulls will instinctively jump over you. That's what the experts say.

But the one that I like the best was from a newspaper headline in "The New York Times" a few years ago that said, whatever you do, don't dress up as a cow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have always wanted to run with the bulls in Pamplona. I have been an Ernest Hemingway fan. I have been studying this for years, and this is my chance, so I am going to do it this year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want it get out of this thing alive.

GOODMAN: The traditional running costume for running of the bulls are white pants, white shirt, a red waist sash and red bandana around the neck. That's because the patron saint of this festival, San Fermin (ph), was martyred by the Romans. He was a Christian evangelist early on. He was slaughtered by the Romans. They say the red represents his blood. Of course, the red is also a famous color for bulls. They get rather excited about it.

(voice-over): The running of the bulls started 400 years ago, but the crowds started pouring in after Ernest Hemingway wrote about Pamplona in his 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises." Local officials expect 10,000 Americans alone in town this week. Pamplona erected a statue to Hemingway outside the bull ring, where he spent many afternoons watching the bull fight. All of the bulls in the Running of the Bulls will face certain death in the bull run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look in front and behind and look for horns. I was pretty well prepared for the race itself. His horn almost grazed my elbow. It was close. It was close.

GOODMAN: Ridiculous you say, this running of the bulls in Pamplona? It's got an irresistible allure. Let's take a look.

Al Goodman, CNN, Pamplona, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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