Hemingway's Bullfighting Classic Celebrates a Century of Influence

WHO:

ABC News - Bill Hillmann, a 44-year-old from Chicago, has run with the bulls in Spain hundreds of times.

AP News - Bruce Anderson, a Dallas-based tour operator, runs a company called “Running Of The Bulls.”

AP News - Mariel Hemingway, actress and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, has spoken about her grandfather's legacy.

WHAT:

ABC News - The San Fermin festival marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s book “The Sun Also Rises.”

AP News - The first of eight bull runs is scheduled for Tuesday.

AP News - In 2022, 16% of the bull runners at the San Fermin festival were Americans, the largest percentage among foreigners.

AP News - This year, Bruce Anderson's company is bringing 1,400 people to the festival, with over two-thirds from the United States.

AP News - Pamplona has 200,000 residents and receives over a million additional visitors for the festival.

WHERE:

ABC News - The San Fermin festival takes place in Pamplona, Spain.

AP News - The Gran Hotel La Perla in Pamplona features the Ernest Hemingway Suite.

WHEN:

ABC News - The San Fermin festival kicked off with a firework blast on a Monday.

AP News - The last death during the bull runs occurred in 2009.

WHY:

ABC News - Hemingway’s work made the San Fermin festival a bucket-list destination for many Americans.

AP News - Some locals express regret over Hemingway's promotion of the festival due to the issues of overtourism.

HOW:

ABC News - Bill Hillmann was inspired to run with the bulls after reading “The Sun Also Rises” at age 19.

AP News - Hillmann has earned a doctorate in English and teaches “The Sun Also Rises” at East-West University in Chicago.

(UPDATED July 6, 2026 14:13 UTC)

The San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s iconic novel, “The Sun Also Rises,” which has turned the event into a bucket-list destination for many Americans. This year, Bruce Anderson's tour company is bringing 1,400 participants to the festival, with over two-thirds hailing from the United States, while locals express mixed feelings about the impact of overtourism. Bill Hillmann, who has run with the bulls hundreds of times and teaches Hemingway's work at East-West University, was inspired to join the tradition after reading the novel at age 19.