Inside the World’s Most Chaotic Race: Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling

Can you capture a rolling wheel of cheese? Can you do it while that cheese rolls down Cooper’s Hill during the annual Cheese Rolling race?

It seems a bit strange, and certainly absurd, but every year, people gather at the top of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester, England, to chase a wheel of cheese down the hill. This annual Cheese Rolling event involves travelers from all over the world who come to endure a purely brutal race that ends with a wheel of cheese in the hands of the winner.

It’s been going on for years

The records of the cheese rolling competition date back to 1826, according to Gloucester town records. The event had already been a well-established tradition, but this was the first year it was recorded. In fact, some believe this event dates back as many as 600 years in this small village in England.

An event that’s been an annual tradition for this long is quite interesting and brings in crowds from all over the world. It seems like the prize should be something much more than it is. The winner of the race receives the wheel of Double Gloucester cheese that they just chased down the hill. Smarts Traditional Gloucester Cheese Farm makes this cheese. It’s embellished with red and blue ribbons, which make it look like a true champion piece.

Several races throughout the day

The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling event takes place over several hours during the day. There are two men’s races, a women’s race, and children’s races for different age groups. The children race up the hill instead of down and have spotters to protect them in case of a slip.

The concept of this race is pretty simple. Participants line up at the top of the hill and chase it as it rolls down. The cheese wheel weighs seven pounds and its tossed into the air by the cheese master to get things started. The cheese then bounces down the 200-yard-long hill and can reach speeds of as much as 70 MPH while people chase after it.

The hill is extremely steep, which makes it hard to keep balance, even for spectators, and everyone is at their own risk. Every year, there are injuries that leave lasting marks on competitors. Some injuries include broken legs and being knocked unconscious, and that might sound brutal, but the risk is part of the thrill of this competition.

An extremely diverse crowd at Cooper’s Hill

This annual cheese rolling race attracts fans of all sorts. There are some who are there for the cheese, others who are extreme sports enthusiasts, and various curious people who come from all over the world to see this event. It could certainly be a fun day as part of a vacation in the English countryside. Spectators have to walk a mile uphill through farmland to reach the top of the hill, which means you need to be in decent shape to see what’s happening on the hill.

How did this year’s race go?

A recent dry spell during the spring made the race area on the hill harder, slower, and more dangerous for competitors taking on the 1:2 gradient. Participants were cheered on by thousands of supporters who came out to watch the cheese go down the hill.

The winner of the first men’s downhill race was German YouTuber Tom Kopke. He won the race last year as well and commented that the race was much different last year. In 2024, the hill was muddy, which made it possible for racers to enjoy a softer run down the hill. During this dry race, more people got injured along the way than last year.

“I shut off my brain and went for it. All the people at the top said they were going to seal my title but this is mine. I worked for this. I risked my life for this. Its my cheese. Back to back.”
– Tom Kopke

The women’s winner

Ava Sender Logan won the women’s race. She was racing for a cause, the Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh.

“This is my first time, I thought it was such a tradition, and I will probably feel it tomorrow. I can’t believe it. It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I’m down, that’s what matters. I’m fine.”
– Ava Sender Logan

Other race winners

The second men’s race was won by Luke Preece from Gloucester. He wore a Superman costume as he raced down the hill after the cheese. He said this is something that his dad did and now he’s done it.

There was a third men’s race and it was won by Byron Smith from New Zealand. He got second place last year but got the cheese wheel this year.

Safety takes a back seat

Over the most recent years, the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Race has been under scrutiny for being unsafe, but try as they might, safety has taken a back seat in this competition. The cheese wheel was replaced in 2013 with a lightweight foam version, but the real thing returned the next year, as it should.
Would you think of participating in this cheese rolling race?