Running of the Bulls Events Coming to Multiple American Cities, Will Kick Off August 24 in Virginia

1375758206_running copy Daredevils in America who have always wanted to participate in the annual running of the bulls but could never make it to Spain are in luck.

Several U.S. cities will be organizing events to recreate the madness of the bull run, and will be unleashing the animals in fenced-in courses as participants run alongside them, according to Jeff Martin of The Associated Press.

The Great Bull Run will kick off Aug. 24 in Richmond, Va., at a drag-racing strip just south of the city. Atlanta will follow suit Oct. 19, followed by Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

About 2,000 people have signed up for the Georgia run and as the number continues to grow each day, Rob Dickens, the co-founder and chief operating officer of The Great Bull Run, expects the final number to reach as many as 7,000.

Injuries are an unavoidable aspect of the famous event in Pamplona, but Dickens, who is also an attorney, is adding many safety precautions to limit the damages. In addition to having the participants sign waivers, fences that have coves will be used so runners can get out of the way quickly and the bulls that will be used will not be the Spanish fighting bulls.

Each of the events will be an all-day experience, and already there is quite a buzz surrounding the once-in-a-lifetime activity.

“You can go running down the street anytime you want, but to run with bulls — that’s something that doesn’t come along very often,” Dickens said.