KEOKUK, IA. -- Encierro.
That's spanish for running of the bulls.
The most famous running of the bulls takes place every July in Pamplona, Spain.
Thousands descend on the Northern Spanish town for the chance to run with about 12 bulls down the street, all in hopes of not getting gored by the bull's horns or killed in a stampede.
Some call it an ultimate adrenaline rush.
Two men from Keokuk saw the Running of the Bulls two years ago on TV, and decided they wanted to give it a shot.
"Right at eight in the morning, they fire the first rocket. That means they've opened the gate," says Matt Ruhl.
"They fire a second rocket when they've cleared. When you hear the second rocket, you know they are all out," says Ruhl.
"You feel the ground trembling," says Ruhl.
And that's when you run.
"Uh, yeah, there's some anxious moments" says Ruhl.
Matt Ruhl and his friend Curt Dial were two of thousands who ran with the bulls this year. They took the vacation with their wives and another couple. Even leading up to the run, neither man said they had second thoughts...they were just ready for the experience.
"You learn quick what to do and what not to do," says Ruhl
And there wasn't a whole lot of preperation for the guys. They found no one locally who had ever done this, but they did find some people in Europe who gave them advice on what to do.
"Kinda turned out everyone was wrong or different. None of the stories..." says Curt Dial.
It's a tricky thing to do because it happens so quickly. You're surrounded by runners, so you don't want to look back for fear you'll trip and be trampled. On the flip side, you want to know when the bulls are coming at you.
"I decided the people that were waiting, facing the direction I was coming from. I watched their faces. You could tell by the look on their face they were coming. Your heart starts pumping, and you move a little quicker," says Ruhl.
Despite how fast you run, the bulls will probably catch up to you.
"One passed me probably about three foot away from me," says Dial.
"The first two passed within arm's reach. They were right there, and they look a lot bigger when they are that close," says Ruhl.
"From the time I started running until I jumped over the fence, it was probably two minutes," says Dial.
"We've heard every reaction from 'you guys are idiots. Why would you do that?' to 'wow, congratulations.' The phrase bucket list is used a lot," says Ruhl.
Now that running with the bulls is crossed off their bucket list, both men tell me they would do it again.
Whether you'd ever want to run with the bulls or not, Matt and Curt say if you ever get the chance to check out the festival there in Pamplona, you should go.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA