Great Bull Run Heads for Temecula

The Pamplona-esque event is set for the first day of summer.

While Pamplona, Spain is nearly synonymous with the annual Running of the Bulls, an event made famous in part by the writings of Ernest Hemingway, such toro dashes have found less traction outside of the historic city's much-photographed streets. 

That's set to change in Southern California come summer -- make that the very first day of summer -- when the Great Bull Run arrives in wine country, at the Temecula Downs Event Center.

This isn't the first venue associated with the run; the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park was scotched as a possible location over safety concerns, per the Press-Enterprise. Bull runs have also drawn protests in the past from a number of organizations, including the Animal Defense Fund, which called for a cancellation of a Georgia bull run last autumn.

Houston also hosts a Great Bull Run, and a selfie taken during the recent Jan. 25 event is making current headlines and provoking much astonishment, as one might expect of a photographic self portrait taken in the heat of a dash. Note: Bulls run far faster than humans.

Thousands are expected at the Temecula gathering, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 21.

Pamplona's Running of the Bulls is part of the multi-day Festival of San Fermin, which is also known for its tomato fight. So expect to see the round, red fruit lobbed, several thousands of times over, at the Temecula Downs come summer.

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