Daredevils need not travel to Spain for the to run with the bulls. Pocket that airfare and sign up instead for The Great Bull Run, which will make its debut in the United States this summer, with stops scheduled in the Houston area this December and in Dallas next April.
"Face the adrenaline rush of a lifetime as you're pursued by 1,000-pound bulls stampeding down a quarter-mile course," the site advertises, effectively making The Warrior Dash — and maybe even the Tough Mudder — look like a day in the park.
"This isn't a charity 5K or a simulated bull run with people dressed in bull costumes chasing you down the street. This is the real deal."
"This isn't a charity 5K or a simulated bull run with people dressed in bull costumes chasing you down the street. This is the real deal, modeled after the famous San Fermin festival in Pamplona," reassuring prospective participants that only 15 deaths have been attributed to the 102-year-old Spanish tradition.
Those who prefer massive mess to possible bodily injury might sign up for the accompanying Tomato Royale, an event modeled after the notoriously raucous La Tomatina, a festival that takes place in the Valencia town of Buñol each August.
Registration for The Great Bull Run at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown on Dec. 7 costs $50 through midnight June 28 (going up to $75 in the days before the race), and includes the run itself, the Tomato Royale, a full day of festival and spectator access, one complimentary beer, a T-shirt and a bandana. The $25 registration for the Tomato Royale comes with a T-shirt and a beer, as well as festival and spectator access.
For those who prefer to play it safe, behold: The Tomato Royale food fight event.
