Bill Hillmann is an American journalist and author whose extensive experiences participating in the Pamplona bull runs have yielded a wealth of insight and inspiration. Described as “the best young bull runner from the United States,” Hillmann has provided expert commentary on the Running of the Bulls for numerous media outlets, including The Today Show, BBC World News, CNN, and Esquire.
Bull runner report
Now, the famous bull runner coach and author will be sharing his personal stories, along with those of occasional guest columnists, right here at Running of the Bulls, Inc.
This is the place to get first-hand accounts of what it’s really like to run with Spain’s biggest, boldest, and most aggressive bulls, and survive the process. This is also where you’ll glean important tips and advice that can help you prepare for a safer experience in one of the world’s most dangerous events.
Hillmann says he comes to Pamplona every year because he loves the bulls, he loves the people, and he adores the culture. Learn more about Hillmann and others like him right here with our Bull runner report.
Bill Hillmann: author, journalist & expert bull runner
The Chicago-born Hillmann has been a devoted fan of the San Fermin Festival for more than 14 years. He, like many others before him, was first drawn to Pamplona after reading Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises.” With hundreds of bull runs under his belt – many in the world-famous city of Pamplona — Hillmann is widely regarded as an expert in the field.
Hillmann has penned “how-to” guides on running with the bulls for daredevil readers of Outside magazine, and in 2014 he co-authored a book entitled “Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona” with Alexander Fiske-Harrison. By this time, most people referred to the award-winning writer and thrill-seeker as “Buffalo Bill Hillmann”.
Since his first bull run in 2005, Hillmann has been gored twice at the Pamplona festival. The first goring happened on July 9, 2014, when a horn stabbed his thigh, but the injury did not deter him in the least. He returned the following year and then wrote about his experiences in a memoir, “Mozos: A Decade Running with the Bulls.”
Hillmann was gored a second time in the 2017 Running of the Bulls at Pamplona, an experience that has contributed to his ever-evolving bull-running tactics and strategies.