Hardy daredevils have been throwing themselves downhill as Gloucestershire’s renowned Cheese Rolling race rolled back into action – only not for the faint-hearted.
Eager participants marked this May Bank Holiday Monday by hurtling down Cooper’s Hill, at Brockworth near Gloucester, as part of a longstanding national tradition.
The event challenges people to pursue a 3kg Double Gloucester cheese rolling down the steep 200 yard hill, though has also prompted safety warnings in recent years.
Hundreds of people have been gathering at Cooper’s Hill to watch the occasion that is thought to have its roots in a pagan festival celebrating the return of spring.
Competitors habitually chase the cheese down the 180m-high hill, with many tripping and tumbling on their way – only to pick themselves up and resume the pursuit.
The first runners to catch the cheese, which can reach speeds of up to 70mph, are declared victors in various races across the event that dates back to the 1800s.
But competing is not without its risks – in 1993, 15 people were injured in the racing, four of them seriously hurt, and officials have ramped up warnings in recent years.
In 2009 and 2011 the race was cancelled over safety concerns, though despite this the event has continued unofficially – yet with safety warnings posted nearby today.
Crowds have gathered for the annual Cheese Rolling races at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth
The traditional event in Gloucestershire got under way on this May Bank Holiday Monday
Safety warnings were put up ahead of the traditional annual Cheese Rolling contest
And the 2020 and 2021 versions were called off as a result of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions, before a return on June 5 2022.
It was recently revealed that the tradition could be given an official honour by being added to a UK heritage list.
The Government is asking the public to nominate their favourite traditions that best reflect Britain, to be recorded in a new Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK.
Nominations will be divided into seven categories, including performing arts, sports and games.
Crafts and social practices such as festivals and customs will also feature, alongside oral expressions like poetry and storytelling.
Other traditions in the county such as surfing the Severn Bore or Woolsack Races in Tetbury have also been touted as potential contenders for the list.
Heritage minister Baroness Twycross said last month: ‘The UK is rich with wonderful traditions.’
Last year’s Cheese Rolling men’s race at Cooper’s Hill was won by Tom Kopke from Germany, who told afterwards how he was ‘buzzing’ – and vowed to return in 2025 to defend his title.
Hordes have been tumbling down Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire today chasing cheese
Mr Kopke, who runs his own YouTube channel, said: ‘I love this event and it’s just crazy. The day before I went cliff diving and I am all for these crazy events.
‘I promised my grandma I am going to give it to her, so she is going to get the cheese.’
Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson from Gloucestershire Police has previously described the event as a ‘unique tradition’, adding that the force had ‘no desire to stop it’.
But officers said they had a duty to tell the public the local Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group had declared it unsafe, raising concerns about the potential strain on emergency services.
The advisory group is made up of multiple agencies, including emergency services, who work to promote safety and welfare at events.
Members have told of concerns about how officials could respond if there were a major incident, after ambulances struggled to access the site in 2023.
The winner of that year’s women’s race was knocked unconscious at the finish line and only discovered had won after waking up in a medical tent.
The event attracts competitors from around the world – as well as capturing transatlantic coverage.
One notable report in 2006 in the American National Library of Medicine was headlined: ‘Dozens injured as cheese roll goes crackers.’
The article went on to say how 25 people were injured ‘at an annual cheese rolling competition in which daredevils chase giant cheese wheels down a steep slope in western England‘.
The magazine said: ‘Dozens took part in the bizarre event at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, before a crowd of about 3,000 cheering spectators.
‘They raced for 200m down the slope after wheel-shaped Double Gloucester cheeses, decorated in a blue and red ribbon.
‘Many slipped, somersaulted, and tumbled their way to the bottom during five bone-crunching races over two hours.
‘Of the 25 people hurt, 12 were spectators, one of whom was hit by one of the hard, 4kg, dinner plate sized cheeses used in each race, but only two people were taken to hospital for further assessment.’
