WIN ENTRY: The Great Bull Run & Tomato Royale

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There’s a new craze in the world of adventure sports and it involves running with real bulls. While certainly not new to those familiar with the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain, this is the first time this centuries-old sport has come to the United States as part of a nationwide event series.

Launched in April of 2013, The Great Bull Run has announced a 10-city schedule that began last August in Virginia with 12,000 festival attendees. Each event features multiple runnings of the bulls throughout the day followed by Tomato Royale, a large tomato food fight with thousands of participants. For those who prefer watching rather than participating, spectator areas are set up along The Great Bull Run track and around the Tomato Royale arena and include music, festival games, food and beverages.

The Great Bull Run will hold its Minneapolis-area event at Elk River Extreme Motor Park in Elk River, MN (www.erxmotorpark.com) on June 21st, 2014. Katie Shatusky, general manager of the venue, said, “We’re very excited that The Great Bull Run has chosen us as the venue for their Minneapolis-area festival. Our facilities are perfect for handling both large crowds and large animals, so there’s no doubt The Great Bull Run will be an annual tradition that the people of Minnesota will enjoy for years to come.”

There are obvious risks associated with running with live bulls, but it’s not as dangerous as it first seems. In fact, there have been only 15 deaths in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain in the past 102 years. Of the more than 10,000 people who have participated in The Great Bull Run here in the United States, only two have required significant medical attention (one for a broken wrist and one for a broken pelvis) – an injury rate much lower than an average high school football game.

“The runners are ultimately responsible for dodging the bulls when they come through, but we’ve taken additional measures to decrease the risk of injury and make this event accessible to everyone, not just the craziest thrill-seekers out there,” said Rob Dickens, co-founder of The Great Bull Run. “The track fencing allows runners to climb over or slide under to avoid bulls and there are several nooks in the fence where runners can hide, but the most important thing is that the bulls we’re using don’t have sharpened horns like the ones in Spain, which greatly reduces the risk of goring.”

Another key difference between the American and Spanish versions of running with the bulls is that unlike in Spain, the bulls won’t be killed in a bullfight after the festival. Instead, their health and safety is closely monitored at all times by veterinarians specializing in large animals. This care and monitoring has resulted in zero injuries to the bulls that have participated in The Great Bull Run to date. “Growing up on a horse farm instilled in me an immense love and respect for all animals,” said Mr. Dickens, “so we take our bulls’ health very seriously.”

Tickets are available online at www.thegreatbullrun.com/events/mn2014 and at the gate on the day of the event. Ticket prices increase over time, ranging from $45-$70 for runners, $30-$45 for Tomato Royale participants and $10 for spectators. The festival is open to all ages. Runners must be 18 years or older with a valid government ID while Tomato Royale participants must be 14 or older.

With its slogan, “Grab Life By The Horns,” The Great Bull Run is certain to attract thrill-seekers from around the country.

I have two pairs of event entry passes to give away!  To enter, first decide if you’d like to participate in The Great Bull Run, Tomato Royale or both.  Then, ensure that you meet the age requirements (18+ for The Great Bull Run, 14+ for Tomato Royale).  Next, comment on this Facebook post and be sure to mention the event(s) you would like passes for.  Two winners will be randomly selected on Wednesday, May 21 at 8pm and announced via Facebook.  Winners will have to direct message me to receive a code for a pair of tickets to the event they specified.   Ticket voucher codes are only good for the June 21, 2014 event in Elk River, MN.  Winners will have the responsibility of timely obtaining tickets online with the voucher code provided.