Some people witness tradition.
Bill runs inside it.
Born in Chicago and spiritually claimed by Pamplona, Bill Hillmann is a rare presence — reflective yet adventurous, deeply thoughtful yet driven by instinct. A natural storyteller with unmistakable charisma, he moves through Spain not as a visitor, but as someone who found a second life here.
Bill is one of the world’s most experienced encierro runners. He has been gored twice and survived both times — moments that reshaped his understanding of risk, respect and resilience. In one near-fatal chapter, far from Spain in Oceania, a severe infection brought him close to losing everything. He recovered. He returned. And today, the mounted head of the bull that nearly took his life hangs in his home — a solemn symbol of survival and reverence. In this tradition, if a bull nearly kills you, you may claim its head. For Bill, it’s not a trophy. It’s memory.
Spain, to him, means rebirth.
A path rediscovered at a full sprint.
Running with the bulls is not bravado — it’s devotion. Bill speaks of the animal with profound respect, seeing the bull not as an opponent, but as a force to understand. Adrenaline and awareness collide in each run: fear wrestling with courage, pride tempered by humility. It’s a feeling only those inside the charge can truly express.
