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Technology Joins Tradition: New Website Launches to Help Reduce Fatalities at the Running of the Bulls in Spain

Spanish media group launches the first website in English to facilitate multimedia communication between experienced bull runners and novices about running with the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

Pamplona, Spain, 6/6/09 - Spanish media company announces the launch of BullRunning.com, the first multimedia website in English, dedicated to facilitating communication between experienced bull runners and novices.  The site's ambitious goal is to help reduce injuries and fatalities by providing a forum for experienced bull runners to share essential advice and technique.  While this goal seems straightforward, there is some controversy that the new website could put expert local runners in the media’s spotlight and mar the honor code of humility and anonymity that is the mark of a respected “corredor” in Pamplona.  The website will provide news, photos, video, travel information and instant festival updates via on popular social networks, Twitter and Facebook.
“BullRunning.com can be a valuable service for foreign visitors who are coming to Pamplona for the first time,” said Yolanda Barcina, mayor of Pamplona, in a recent video interview with BullRunning.com.
The last person to be fatally gored in the Pamplona bull run was an American youth from Chicago, killed in 1995. Matthew Peter Tassio died from a horn puncture to his liver because he did not know the cardinal rule of bull running; if you fall down, stay down. Dozens of tourists are injured each year.  In total, fourteen people have died in the last 100 of the event’s recorded history. The “encierro” is especially dangerous for inexperienced foreigners who travel to the weeklong festival, made famous by author Ernest Hemingway.
The festival of San Fermin takes place every July 6-14 in the northern Spanish town of Pamplona.  Over a million people travel to this capital of Navarra each year.  Most of the tourists are North American, Australian, British and French.  The highlight of the San Fermin festival is the traditional running of the bulls, which occurs eight mornings of the nine-day festival.  Anyone over 18 years of age may run with the bulls. For information about the festival’s history and how to run safely, see www.BullRunning.com.

ABOUT GRUPO LA INFORMACÓN
Grupo La Información owns the regional newspaper Diario de Navarra which has the highest market penetration of any regional newspaper in Spain. In September of 2008 the Society for News Design (SNDE) awarded Diario de Navarra the "The Best Newspaper Design of España & Portugal 2008”. Founded in 1903, it is Pamplona's oldest newspaper and has covered the Running of the Bulls since its beginning, with dozens of professional photographers and journalists.
Please direct questions to John Rhodes. You may contact us in Pamplona, Spain at:

• Email: john.rhodes /@/ lainformacion-sa.com
• Land line: +34-948-236050 (ask for John Rhodes) 
• Twitter.com/bullrunning