3 Americans, Briton gored in opening Pamplona bull run

Two Americans and a British man were gored and eight others hurt on Tuesday as runners dashed ahead of six half-tonne fighting bulls in a fast first running of the bulls at Spain's annual San Fermin festival.

A 30-year-old British man was gored between the legs in the perineum area, the regional government of Navarra, of which Pamplona is the capital, said in a statement.

A 38-year-old from California was gored in his right armpit and another 27-year-old American was also gored in an undisclosed spot.

None of the injuries were considered to be life-threatening.

Eight other men, including three Americans, were treated in hospital for bruises and scrapes suffered in falls.

Runners, wearing traditional white clothing and red kerchiefs around their necks, tripped over each other or fell in the mad rush as they and the animals charged down a winding 846.6-metre (925-yard) course from a pen to the city's bull ring in two minutes, 23 seconds.

Some dared to run just at arm's length from the six huge bulls and six steers that accompany them, glancing nervously behind at the beasts' curved horns.

One black bull raced ahead of the pack and made several charges at the runners, who scrambled to get out of the way.

Fifteen people have been killed in the bull runs since modern day records started in 1911, most recently in 2009 when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in the neck, heart and lungs.

The bulls used in Tuesday's run came from the Jandilla ranch in Spain's southern region of Andalucia, the same ranch that supplied the animals responsible for the last fatal goring at San Fermin.

Five Spaniards, two Australians and one American were gored in last year's festival in Pamplona.

People come from all over the world to test their bravery and enjoy the festival's nonstop street parties which last until July 14. The festival was immortalised by author Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises".

Last year just over 17,000 people joined the festival's eight daily bull runs with over half of them, 56 percent, coming from abroad, according to Pamplona city hall.

The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain accounted for the greatest number of foreign bull run participants.