Frederic Melton
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held in Gloucester, England, that draws competitors from around the world. The competition involves chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese as it rolls down a 200-yard-long hill. The first person to cross the finish line wins the cheese, though it is never actually caught due to its high speed. While there is no official prize, the winner gets to take home the cheese itself, which is valued at $10 to $12 per pound. The event has a long history, possibly dating back hundreds of years, and is believed to have originated as a pagan ritual or a way to maintain grazing rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Prize | The wheel of Double Gloucester cheese |
| Weight of the cheese | 7-9 pounds (3-4 kilograms) |
| Length of the race | 200 yards (180 meters) |
| Slope of the hill | 50% (26.6 degrees) |
| Number of downhill events | 4 |
| Number of uphill events | 1 |
| Date of the event | Spring Bank Holiday |
| Location | Cooper's Hill, Brockworth, near Gloucester, England |
| Participants | People from various countries |
| Cost | Free |
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What You'll Learn
The prize is the cheese itself
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, Brockworth, near Gloucester, England. The event is believed to be at least six hundred years old, with its roots in a pagan fertility ritual predating the Roman era.
The competition involves participants racing down a 200-yard-long hill, chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. The cheese used in the event typically weighs between 7 and 9 pounds (3 to 4 kilograms) and is decorated with ribbons. The first person to cross the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese, although the cheese is never actually caught due to its high speed.
The winner of the cheese-rolling competition receives the cheese itself as the prize. While there may be no other material rewards, the winners often express their joy and excitement about their victory. For example, Katie Hagenuard, the 2015 women's champion, stated, "While I did break my arm, just the feeling of winning is just amazing!" Similarly, Chris Anderson, a 22-time champion and world record holder, shared that the feeling of winning the competition is the greatest thing one can experience in life.
The Double Gloucester cheese that is used as the prize is a hard cow's milk cheese made from the milk of Gloucester cows, Britain's oldest breed. It is aged for 6 months and has a buttery and round flavor, with a crumbly texture. In recent times, the prize cheese has been supplied by local cheesemaker Diana Smart and her son Rod from their farm in Churcham.
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There is no other prize
The winner of the cheese-rolling race at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, UK, wins the wheel of Double Gloucester cheese that they chase down the hill. There is no other prize.
The cheese itself is a prize worth winning. In the 1700s, a wheel of Double Gloucester cost the equivalent of $240 in today's money. While the cheese can now be purchased for $10 to $12 a pound, winners of the cheese-rolling race get their prize cheese for free.
The cheese-rolling race has been called the "best 15 seconds of your life you are ever going to experience" by 22-time champion Chris Anderson. He also said that "the feeling of winning this competition is just the greatest thing you'll ever experience in your life, and this goes to prove you don't need a prize to enjoy something." Indeed, competitors hurl themselves down the steep, 200-yard-long hill, risking injury and even death, for the glory of winning the cheese.
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday. The tradition dates back to at least the early 1800s, although some historians believe it stretches back hundreds of years and may have pagan roots. The event attracts competitors from a wide range of countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.
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Cheese rolling has a long history
Cheese rolling is an annual event held on Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, Brockworth, near Gloucester, England. The event involves participants racing down a 200-yard (180-metre) hill, chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. While the competition may seem lighthearted, it has a long and mysterious history, with origins that are uncertain.
The first written evidence of cheese rolling dates back to 1826, in a message addressed to the Gloucester town crier. Even at that time, cheese rolling was described as an old tradition, and it is now believed to be at least six hundred years old, with roots in the pagan celebration of the New Year. According to this theory, bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to symbolise the birth of the New Year after winter. This belief is connected to the traditional scattering of buns, biscuits, and sweets at the top of the hill, which is thought to be a fertility rite to encourage a bountiful harvest.
Another theory suggests that cheese rolling evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on common land. By rolling cheese down the hill, locals symbolically maintained their continuity of common grazing rights. This may explain why a cheese is still rolled, even if the race events are cancelled, as occurred during the foot-and-mouth crisis of 2001 and the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020-2021.
Regardless of its exact origins, cheese rolling has a rich and lengthy history. The event has transformed over the centuries, from a pagan ritual to a competition that attracts participants from a wide range of countries. While the race may seem bizarre to some, it is an important part of British culture and tradition, with a world-renowned reputation.
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It is a dangerous sport
The prize for winning the cheese roll is the cheese itself, which is typically a 7–9-pound (3–4-kilogram) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. While this may seem like a strange reward, the event has a long history and is considered a world-famous competition, attracting participants and winners from various countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.
However, cheese rolling is a dangerous sport. It involves participants racing downhill after a rolling cheese wheel, and the steep, 200-yard-long (180-meter) slope can reach inclines of around 50% (26.6 degrees). The cheese can reach high speeds, and injuries are common, with competitors sustaining various injuries, such as a concussion, bruised kidneys, broken bones, muscle tears, and gashes. The cheese itself, which can be hard and dinner plate-sized, has even injured spectators, including one incident where a spectator was hit and required hospital assessment.
The sport's danger is further highlighted by the fact that it lost its official sanction in 2010 due to safety concerns. The large number of visitors raised worries about blocking emergency access, and the event organizer was warned about potential liability for injuries.
Despite the risks, cheese rolling remains a beloved tradition, with participants willing to endure injuries for the thrill of victory and the unique experience of racing down Cooper's Hill.
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Winners have suffered injuries
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held in England that draws participants from all over the world. The competition involves chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep hill. While the event is certainly entertaining, it has also been associated with a high number of injuries.
Cheese rolling has an extremely high injury rate, with 333 injuries per 1,000 contestants. This is significantly higher than other sports such as football, lacrosse, and volleyball. The majority of injuries occur when people dive off the hill, as they hurl themselves down a 200-yard-tall, steep, and often muddy slope. The cheese itself can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, which is enough to knock over and injure spectators. In 2025, Byron Smith, the winner of the final men's downhill race, suffered a broken rib, a collapsed lung, and internal bleeding. In 1993, 15 people were injured, four of them seriously.
Due to safety concerns, the official competition was cancelled in 2010, and again in 2009 and 2011. Despite these cancellations, rebel cheese rollers have continued to stage unofficial events. In 2020 and 2021, the event was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the risks, many participants express a love for the sport and a willingness to compete again, even after sustaining injuries. Katie Hagenuard, the 2015 women's champion, broke her arm but stated that the feeling of winning was "amazing" and that she would do it again. Similarly, 22-time champion Chris Anderson, who holds the world record for most cheeses won, has stated that the feeling of winning the competition is "the greatest thing you'll ever experience in your life."
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Frequently asked questions
The winner of the cheese roll race wins the cheese itself, which is a 7-9-pound 3-4-kilogram wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.
There is no mention of a trophy for the winner of the cheese roll race, but there is a wooden casing around the cheese wheel, which could be considered a trophy.
There do not appear to be any other official prizes for winning the cheese roll race, but the winner also gets bragging rights and the satisfaction of conquering the hill.
