On Monday, daring cheese enthusiasts threw caution to the wind to participate in one of Britain’s most extreme annual events: Cheese rolling.
The event, which takes place at Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester in southwest England, attracted thousands of spectators who cheered on the brave racers as they chased 7-pound (3 kilogram) wheels of Double Gloucester cheese down the nearly vertical hill.
The first person to cross the finish line behind the fast-rolling cheese in each race gets to keep it as a prize.
The cheese-rolling races at Cooper’s Hill have been held since at least 1826, but the sport itself is believed to be much older. The rough-and-tumble event often raises safety concerns, as few competitors manage to stay on their feet for the entire 200-yard (180 meter) descent.
This year’s hill was particularly slippery and muddy due to recent rainfall, making the challenge even more daunting. As a precaution, members of a local rugby club were positioned at the bottom of the hill to catch the tumbling competitors.
Tom Kopke from Munich, Germany, won one of the three men’s races, attributing his success to attitude rather than technique. “You start and then the adrenaline takes over and you just go, go go,” Kopke said, adding, “Look at this event, look at this hill. England is mad. I love it.”
Local competitor Josh Shepherd and Dylan Twiss from Perth, Australia, won the other two men’s downhill races, while Abby Lampe from North Carolina triumphed in the women’s race with an impressively fast roll that left the rest of the field far behind.
Lampe, a graduate of NC State who also won in 2022, shared her simple strategy: “You just have to roll. There’s a little bit of pain, but it’s just going to be temporary.”
In addition to the main races, dozens of children and adults competed in safer and slower, but still grueling, uphill versions of the event, which are traditionally held on a late-May national holiday.
Meanwhile, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away in the town of Tetbury, competitors participated in the Tetbury Woolsack Races, carrying sacks of wool weighing up to 60 pounds (27 kilograms) over a 240-yard (220-meter) course up and down the steep Gumstool Hill.
This event, which has been held since 1972, draws on a local tradition dating back to the 17th century in the historic wool-trading town.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.