He couldn’t even use the recklessness of youth as an excuse, yet despite knowing better, he still traveled to Europe for the traditional event that sees an estimated 50 to 100 people injured each year. Shockingly, only 15 runners have been killed during the run since 1910. Worthy wasn’t planning on being part of either group.
“It seemed really fun,” he said. “And it was fun until you start running with them. Then it’s horrifying. I’m running with things that can kill me and I’m doing this for fun. It’s not like fighting. I know I can get hurt, but I’m probably not gonna die. But with the bulls, you can get gored, and all that starts to come into play as you’re running.”
Luckily, he got a little advice before the run began. Not that it was going to help him if he was slow enough to get caught by a bull, but it was something.
“I talked to this Spanish guy beforehand and he said, ‘No matter what happens, don’t stop running.’ Because if you stop, that bull can close the range in the blink of an eye.”
Worthy estimates that the closest a bull got to him was approximately four feet away, and as he describes it, “It was horrifying. The Earth was shaking. You’re really close to death. You’re rubbing death on the back right there. You’re right next to it. It’s kinda cool but it’s also scary at the same time.”
As for his fellow runners, he wasn’t sticking around to discover how they were making out.
“When I was there, I’m running and there’s this old couple in the center of the street, and I’m thinking as I’m running past them, ‘What the f**k are y’all doing?’ (Laughs) I just kept on running.”
And he obviously made it unscathed. As for a post-running of the bulls meal, no, steak was not on the menu.
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“I’m actually a vegetarian, so I had some french fries,” he laughs. “I was just happy to be alive. It’s the weirdest feeling that you’re just happy to be alive.”
Needless to say, facing a man with two arms and two legs and the nickname “Bulldozer” will pale in comparison to squaring off with a small army of bulls.
“It’s a different approach, it’s a different setup,” he said. “The bulls won’t necessarily get to me; when you’re in a fight, that fighter’s gonna get to you and he’s gonna touch you. It’s a different adrenaline rush.”