San Fermín 2014: The Running of the Bulls
July 6 to 14, 2014. Eight encierros, a debut from Garcigrande, a return of Jandilla and Adolfo Martín, and the first year San Fermín aired live on US television via Esquire Network.
2014 on the Route
I was in Pamplona for San Fermín 2014. The fiesta that year stood out for a few concrete reasons: it was the first year the encierros aired live in the United States on the Esquire Network, which brought a new wave of attention from American audiences. The Garcigrande debut on July 10 was one of the more notable mornings of the week, and Jandilla’s return after a four-year absence was welcomed by runners who knew the ranch’s reputation for speed and cohesion.
The gorings were concentrated in the early and late days. Victoriano del Río on July 9 and Miura on July 14 produced the highest injury counts. The days in between were largely clean. That pattern, danger at the edges, calm in the middle, is something I’ve seen in many fiestas. It does not make the quieter mornings safer; it just means the risk moved elsewhere.
Dennis Clancey, Founder, Encierro
The Year Pamplona Went to American Television
San Fermín 2014 was the first year NBCUniversal’s Esquire Network broadcast all eight encierros live to approximately 75 million US homes, the largest American audience ever to watch the runs in real time. At the same time, RTVE introduced a high-definition tirolina camera on Estafeta, riding the street at 60 km/h alongside the herd, giving viewers an entirely new perspective on the speed of the event.
On the route, the fiesta featured three notable firsts and returns: Garcigrande of Alaraz, Salamanca, made its Pamplona debut on July 10 and immediately produced two gorings. Jandilla returned for the first time since 2010, and Adolfo Martín ran for the first time since 2003. Eight runners were gored across all eight days, matching the 2019 total. See how 2014 compares in the full archive, or read about 2013 and 2015.
The first year the encierros ran live on US television, and the course delivered eight gorings across eight mornings to justify the attention.
Every 2014 Encierro, Day by Day
Each run with its ganadía, time, horn injuries, and the RTVE video. The route runs approximately 849 meters from Santo Domingo to the ring; see the route map.
Torrestrella
A fast, largely clean opener from the Medina Sidonia ranch. One runner was caught by horn, the only injury of the morning. Dennis Clancey described it as a lightning-fast and straightforward run.
Dolores Aguirre
The fastest run of the fiesta and the most aesthetically pleasing. The Seville ranch’s bulls ran with great nobility, leading the herd from the start. No gorings, though a 23-year-old British runner was hospitalized with serious chest injuries after the run.
Victoriano del Río
The slowest run of the fiesta, set a record as the slowest Victoriano del Río time in Pamplona history at 3 minutes 23 seconds. Two runners were gored. The Guadalix de la Sierra bulls were dangerous on the upper stretch of the route.
Garcigrande Debut
The Alaraz, Salamanca ranch made its Pamplona debut and immediately produced the second-highest goring count of the fiesta. Two runners were caught by horn, confirming the powerful, unpredictable character of the Garcigrande bulls.
Jandilla
A clean, well-structured run marking Jandilla’s return to Pamplona after a four-year absence. The Mérida bulls ran cohesively and produced excellent racing conditions on Estafeta. No gorings on the first Jandilla morning since 2010.
Fuente Ymbro
The San José del Valle ranch produced a fast, clean run on the Saturday of the fiesta, one of the best crowds of the week in the streets. No gorings recorded for the Fuente Ymbro morning.
Adolfo Martín
The Escurial, Cáceres ranch returned to Pamplona for the first time since 2003. Their bulls ran cleanly, producing an injury-free penultimate morning and a welcome contrast to the damage of the earlier days.
Miura
The closing Miura morning was the most dangerous of the fiesta, producing three gorings including one described as terrifying by witnesses. The Lora del Río bulls ran the longest closing stretch of the week, ending the 2014 fiesta with the highest injury count of any single day.
The Stories the Numbers Leave Out
The 2014 Sanfermines Official Cartel
Cartel: “Equipazo” by Ignacio Doménech.
The winning design for 2014 was selected from 546 entries submitted to the public competition. Doménech’s poster shows Saint Fermin at the center of a group including Ernest Hemingway, a bagpipe player, a bull, the Kiliki character Caravinagre, and bullfighter Juan José Padilla, all iconic figures of the fiesta gathered in one composition. The background was a sky blue, deliberately avoiding the red, white, and black corporate palette of San Fermín.
The title “Equipazo” is an informal Spanish superlative meaning roughly “What a team.” The poster was selected by public vote, with Pamplona citizens choosing it from a final shortlist.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Pamplona, cartel archive
The 2014 San Fermín official poster, selected through the annual concurso de carteles held by Pamplona each year.
The City in 2014
The chupinazo opened the fiesta at noon on Sunday, July 6, 2014, fired from the balcony of the Pamplona town hall by the mayor. The 2014 fiesta marked a significant broadcasting milestone: RTVE introduced a high-definition tirolina camera on Estafeta Street that tracked the herd at 60 km/h, bringing viewers closer to the speed of the run than any camera position before it.
The Concurso Internacional de Fuegos Artificiales continued its annual schedule in the Ciudadela. Nine days after the chupinazo, the fiesta closed at midnight on July 14 with the candlelit Pobre de Mí in the Plaza del Castillo, as it does every year, leaving Pamplona quiet again after nine days of noise.
2014, As the World Saw It
Selected international coverage of San Fermín 2014.
Find Your 2014 Run
The Pamplona photographers and the Navarra press shoot every morning. These links go to the 2014 galleries.
How 2014 Came Together
The planning and key dates, kept on the record.
The Casa de Misericordia confirmed the 2014 lineup: five returning ranches (Miura, Victoriano del Río, Dolores Aguirre, Torrestrella, Fuente Ymbro), plus the debut of Garcigrande and the returns of Jandilla (absent since 2010) and Adolfo Martín (absent since 2003).
The chupinazo fired at noon by Pamplona’s mayor opened the fiesta. The same evening, the encierrillo moved the bulls from the corrales of Gas to the corrales of Santo Domingo in preparation for the first run.
The first encierro began with Torrestrella of Medina Sidonia, Cádiz. The run was fast and largely clean. One runner was gored. This was also the first morning broadcast live on Esquire Network in the United States, reaching approximately 75 million American homes.
Miura closed the fiesta with the most dangerous run of the week: three gorings on the final morning. At midnight, the Pobre de Mí ceremony in the Plaza del Castillo marked the end of San Fermín 2014.
San Fermín 2014, Answered
How many runners were gored in San Fermín 2014?
Eight runners were gored by horn across the eight encierros. Four ganaderías produced gorings: Torrestrella (1), Victoriano del Río (2), Garcigrande (2), and Miura (3). The four remaining ranches, Dolores Aguirre, Jandilla, Fuente Ymbro, and Adolfo Martín, ran without a horn injury.
Which ganadería ran in each encierro in 2014?
Torrestrella on July 7, Dolores Aguirre on July 8, Victoriano del Río on July 9, Garcigrande on July 10, Jandilla on July 11, Fuente Ymbro on July 12, Adolfo Martín on July 13, and Miura on July 14.
What was the fastest encierro of San Fermín 2014?
Dolores Aguirre on July 8, at 2 minutes 31 seconds. The slowest was Victoriano del Río on July 9, at 3 minutes 23 seconds, a record as the slowest Victoriano del Río time in Pamplona history.
Was anyone killed in San Fermín 2014?
No. The last death in the Pamplona encierro was Daniel Jimeno Romero on July 10, 2009. No runners died in 2014. The most serious injury of the fiesta was a British runner hospitalized after the July 8 Dolores Aguirre run with broken ribs and a punctured lung, an injury sustained from the pressure of the crowd, not a horn.
Planning your own run?
2014 is in the record. For the years on either side, see San Fermín 2013 and San Fermín 2015, or learn the route with the runners who have studied it longest.