A Briton and two Americans have been gored and eight others were injured as thousands of daredevils dashed alongside fighting bulls in the first bull-run of Pamplona's San Fermin festival.

The 30-year-old Briton and the Americans, aged 27 and 38, were gored by the bulls but none are thought to be in a serious condition, festival organisers said.

One man was gored in the chest and was in a stable condition, a doctor at the event said. The Red Cross said two other men were gored, one in the back, but gave no further details.Three Americans were among the eight others injured, most with bruises sustained in falls and crowd crushes during the nationally televised run that lasted just over two minutes.

In all, 15 people have died from gorings in San Fermin since record-keeping began in 1924.

The run yesterday included six bulls from the Jandilla ranch in Spain's rural western region of Extremadura, known for the ferocity of its bulls.

Many Spanish towns hold festivals involving bulls during the summer. San Fermin is the most famous internationally and attracts thousands of revellers, many from abroad.

It famously featured in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises.