Running of the Bull: ‘Super silly’ event turns 20
The whistle blows and they’re off, running as if their lives depend on it.
There is yelling and feverish excitement in the air as hundreds of people scramble down the beach wearing a sea of red and white. Often times costumed characters run by, from bananas to a stray Elvis.
A beastly brown bull follows closely behind, its head dipped low, aimed right for the stragglers.
If this were Spain, there would be bloodshed. Perhaps even death.
But this is Dewey Beach.
And the great and mighty bull is actually two dudes in a bull costume.
Dewey Beach’s annual event is far from the real bull run, which rushes through Pamplona, Spain, every July.
But it was, however, the inspiration behind it.
Controlled chaos
After a late night of drinking and brainstorming 20 years ago, Michael McDonnell and a group of friends hatched an idea.
They were trying to convince Mike Howard to join their beach house in Dewey Beach.
Howard and McDonnell had previously traveled to Spain for its infamous bull run, and he would only agree if they could recreate some of the magic they had witnessed in Pamplona.
“We concluded that the only right thing to do was to have someone dress up in a bull costume and chase the rest of us,” he said.
Howard agreed, and the group hosted their mock bull run the weekend after Fourth of July with about 35 participants. The following year, that number doubled.
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Each year after, more and more people joined in the fun, he said, as it snowballed into, “controlled chaos.”
When Stephen “Monty” Montgomery took ownership of The Starboard in Dewey Beach a few years later, he contacted the local bull run organizer.
“He commended what we had been doing,” said McDonnell. “And he asked me, ‘How about we make this thing bigger?’ ”
Silliness at its finest
What began in 1997 as a silly event among friends has evolved into a massive, save-the-date spectacle that draws thousands of people from across the country to Dewey Beach.
Much like the Fiesta de San Fermin, Dewey’s festival is rooted in revelry.
The day of debauchery begins Saturday morning with a kids’ run starting at New Orleans Street. This year’s has been moved back so it starts at 10:30 a.m. to better accommodate parents and kids.
McDonnell, who now has a 7-year-old and 5-year-old, enjoys watching the original participants return with their young families.
“That part of it, for me, makes this whole thing even better,” he said.
As the children start to play, the liquor starts to flow.
This is Dewey Beach, after all.
The real show happens around 2 p.m., when the masses cross Del. 1 and head for the beach.
Participants are chased down the coastline by the bull. The runners squeal in delight, and unsuspecting beachgoers can’t help but laugh and point at the absurd spectacle – usually with jaws dropped.
“This is silliness at its finest,” said Montgomery.
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The crowd makes its way back to Del. 1, briefly stopping to refuel at Gary’s Dewey Beach Grill, before returning to The Starboard. Here, a circle forms around the bull and the matador, usually a local Dewey Beach celebrity, as they fight to the (pretend) death.
Unlike the Running of the Bulls in Spain, there have been no violent injuries in Dewey Beach. But a few bad hangovers? Definitely.
But the danger level in Dewey Beach is low, Montgomery said, thanks to the numerous workers who temporarily close Del. 1 to make sure the runners get across safely.
“The event is extremely well-coordinated,” Montgomery said. “The whole state even pitches in. We have everyone out here: DelDOT, State Police, Dewey Beach Police and private security. We pretty much have it down to a science.”
Anarchy for a good cause
When McDonnell stormed Dewey Beach with his friends 20 years ago, he never fathomed what it would eventually lead to.
The once small, homegrown event is now one of Dewey Beach’s biggest, rivaling Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day celebrations.
E! Online once featured it on its Ultimate Summer Bucket List of 17 summer events, in between heavy-hitters like Comic-Con and Lollapalooza.
“I never thought it would get this big,” he said. “Not in a million years.”
And McDonnell wasn’t the only one.
Local bartender Holly Ski remembers seeing the madness during her first summer in Dewey, 18 years ago. Back then, it was just a few drunk guys running around.
“I remember thinking it was all absolutely insane,” she said. “But at the same time, I couldn’t help but think how absolutely wonderful it was. A full day of total, reckless abandonment. We all need more days like that.”
Ski said she has enjoyed watching more people embrace the festival and “its madness,” each year.
But it’s not just about bull races and copious amounts of drinking. The event also supports a good cause.
One hundred percent of the proceeds, McDonnell said, go to the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Department. Close to $100,000 has been donated over the event’s 20-year run.
“It’s just good, clean fun,” he said. “Super silly but super special.”
Follow Hannah Carroll on Twitter @hcarroll_1 and Facebook at Facebook.com/byhannahcarroll and onInstagram @thesassy_banana. Reach her at302-537-1881, ext. 207.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: 20th annual Running of the Bull
WHEN: Kids run starts at 10:30 a.m., adult run starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9
WHERE: The Starboard, Del. 1, Dewey Beach
MORE INFO: therunningofthebull.com