CHICAGO — George Grandolfo plans to run a quarter-mile alongside raging bulls for his 5-year-old autistic son, Alex.
"He thinks I am nuts, and it makes him smile," said Grandolfo, a Downtown trader who will be one of thousands of participants at Saturday's Great Bull Run, a U.S. version of the Spanish running of the bulls in Pamplona.
The Chicago area's edition of the Great Bull Run, which is being held in six U.S. locations, takes place Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero.
Justin Breen discusses why one man will risk his life this weekend:
Runners will compete on a fenced-in, quarter-mile course on either dirt or grass, trying to evade up to 18 bulls.
While 15 people have been killed and thousands injured in Pamplona since record-keeping began in 1924, the Great Bull Run website notes that "more safety precautions" have been added to prevent injury to runners and bulls — including not sharpening the bulls' horns to razor-sharp points.
But it cautions: "You still could die."
"You got one shot to live and the worst thing you can do is waste it," said Grandolfo, a Midway native and St. Rita High School graduate. "My autistic son smiled and thought I was crazy when I showed him the pictures of the bulls. That was what made go through and actually hit the submit button instead of laughing and putting it to the side."
Rob Dickens, Chief Operating Officer of the Great Bull Run, said he expected about 5,000 people to attend Saturday's festivities, which include a "Tomato Royale" — a massive tomato fight similar to the La Tomatina in Spain.
"For many participants, this will likely be the only time in their lives where they can see what they’re truly made of," Dickens said.
Uptown resident David Martinez has that mindset heading into Saturday. Martinez has lost 60 pounds since 2011 and said the Great Bull Run "is a celebration of the accomplishments in my life these past few years."
"Family and friends think I'm crazy taking part in this event, but it's been a part of my bucket list for over 10 years," Martinez said.
Dickens stressed that, unlike the Spanish bull run, in which the animals are killed afterward in a bull ring, no bulls will be harmed at Hawthorne.
"We don’t hit, shock or scare them to make them run," Dickens said. "In fact, we take extraordinary precautions to ensure our bulls remain healthy and happy, from having veterinarians on site at all times to bringing in misting fans to cool the bulls between runs."
For more information on the Great Bull Run, click here.
