Cheese fans set for wild downhill chase as rolling festival to begin
The Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling, one of Britain's most storied annual festivals, will see dozens of people pursue a very fast wheel of cheese down a damp hill near Gloucestershire. During the mad rush in Brockworth, men and women will cascade down the steep, precarious grassy knoll in hopes of grabbing some Double Gloucester cheese.
Thousands of eyes will be fixed on the four competing groups today running down - and occasionally up - the hill, but it isn't an entirely laughing matter.
The May 26 race is also a wake, with past champs being honoured, among them the first-ever, a famous cheese hater who always donated his proceedings.
The question "How fast can a wheel of Double Gloucester roll down a hill near Gloucestershire?" may seem like the start to a bad joke, but its a critical one for today's competitors.
Dozens of people will be chasing their quarry down the hill, which has an incredibly steep roughly 1:2 gradient. The gradient will mean the cheese, at its fastest, can approach up to 70mph at maximum. This means anyone taking part will have to either catch it before it manages to gather momentum, or at the bottom of the hill when it rolls to a stop.
While a Gloucester-based event with a Double Gloucester prize may seem hyper local, the competition is very much an international affair.
People looking to save money on cheese and lose weight in the process come from all over, and, unfortinately, it means that Brits are very much in form by regularly losing at another homespun sport. Last year's first winner was Tom Kopke, from Munich, the second men's race winner was Australian Dylan Twiss, and the first women's race winner was American Abby Lampe.
Competitors in today's race will tumble down Cooper's Hill in an organised fashion.
The first group to give themselves over to the soggy hill's influence will be the men, who will pour over the top at around 12pm this afternoon. They will be divided into races every 15 minutes, with children following in an uphill battle once the first men have reached the bottom.
Over-12s will follow once the second men's group has had an opportunity to wrestle with the force of gravity. Women will have a chance to prove their mettle at 1pm, before the all-against-all mixed uphill race at 1.15pm. Men will bookend the festival with their final race at 1.30pm.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Louis Rees-Zammit has had ‘unbelievable' interest from rugby union teams
The former Gloucester wing, who made 32 appearances for Wales and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, said he hopes to rekindle his international career. Rees-Zammit told Sky Sports News: 'I can't name teams, but I've had a load of interest, which is unbelievable. I'm very grateful for that. 'The season starts pretty soon. So it's about finding the right team for me in terms of location, in terms of how quick I've got to get into camp, and because the season's right around the corner, so all of these things that are going to happen, are going to happen pretty sharpish. 'Me and my brother are going through negotiations and seeing teams interested, which is amazing. We should find out in the next week or so.' Rees-Zammit quit rugby union in January 2024 in order to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL via its International Player Pathway Program. He signed an active roster deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2025 season after being part of their practice squad for the previous campaign and travelled to London for the games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots in October. Louis Rees-Zammit made 32 appearances for Wales before opting to pursue a career in the NFL (David Davies/PA) Following his decision to return to the 15-man game, Rees-Zammit has targeted a return for Wales, who he helped to their last Six Nations triumph in 2021. He added: 'Playing for my country is the pinnacle and it's one that I absolutely love doing. 'I managed to play 32 times for my country in three, four years. I need to find a team. Once we find a team, get into good form and hopefully come Autumn Internationals, see where selection is. 'It's something that I'm really looking forward to and I really want to play for my country again.' Rees-Zammit's ambition will come as a welcome boost to recently-appointed Wales head coach Steve Tandy, who takes over a side that only ended an 18-match losing streak that lasted almost two years with a hard-fought win over Japan last month.
Powys County Times
5 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Won't matter once we're all dead – Lando Norris plays down F1 title battle
Lando Norris said it does not matter if he fails to beat Oscar Piastri to the world championship because 'in 200 years we will all be dead'. Norris arrives for the concluding round before Formula One's three-week summer shutdown 16 points behind McLaren team-mate Piastri in the standings. The title momentum swung back in Piastri's favour at last weekend's rain-hit round in Belgium. Norris started on pole position but allowed Piastri to swoop past in the treacherous conditions. Norris was unable to stop Red Bull's Max Verstappen from taking his fourth consecutive championship last year, but such is McLaren's superiority, it is team-mate Piastri who has emerged as his sole rival for this season's crown. Piastri has six wins to Norris' four but when asked if he needs to get under the Australian's skin to land his maiden F1 title, Norris replied: 'I don't enjoy that. In 200 years no one is going to care. We'll all be dead. 'I am trying to have a good time. I still care about it, and that's why I get upset sometimes and I get disappointed and I get angry at myself. And I think that shows just how much I care about winning and losing. 'But that doesn't mean I need to take it out on Oscar. I just don't get into those kind of things.' Historically, intra-team title battles rarely end well in F1, but Norris continued: 'Yes, he (Piastri) is the guy I want to beat more than anyone else. 'But if I don't beat him, then that's just because he has done a better job. I will do it the way I believe is best for me, and just because one person did it a few years ago, it doesn't mean you have to do that, too. I don't really care about those things.' At the Hungaroring on Friday, Norris completed an impressive practice double – beating Piastri by just 0.019 seconds in the first session before extending his advantage to nearly three tenths later in the day. Norris has never been out-qualified by a team-mate on his six previous visits here, and he will be encouraged by his showing in practice. Over at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has won a record eight times in Hungary and has secured nine pole positions. But the 40-year-old, who remains without a podium in Ferrari colours, struggled for pace on Friday. In the first session, he complained his car didn't 'feel good' and ran off the road at the first corner following a major lock-up. He ended the day in sixth, three tenths and as many places behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. Verstappen ended speculation he could leave Red Bull at the end of the year by committing his future there for at least another season. However, he finished a distant 14th in practice, 1.1 seconds slower than Norris. 'I don't know what is going on,' said Verstappen over the radio. 'It is just undriveable.' Verstappen is also facing a stewards' investigation after he threw a towel – seemingly left in the Dutchman's cockpit by accident – out of his car.
Leader Live
6 hours ago
- Leader Live
Won't matter once we're all dead – Lando Norris plays down F1 title battle
Norris arrives for the concluding round before Formula One's three-week summer shutdown 16 points behind McLaren team-mate Piastri in the standings. The title momentum swung back in Piastri's favour at last weekend's rain-hit round in Belgium. Norris started on pole position but allowed Piastri to swoop past in the treacherous conditions. Norris was unable to stop Red Bull's Max Verstappen from taking his fourth consecutive championship last year, but such is McLaren's superiority, it is team-mate Piastri who has emerged as his sole rival for this season's crown. Piastri has six wins to Norris' four but when asked if he needs to get under the Australian's skin to land his maiden F1 title, Norris replied: 'I don't enjoy that. In 200 years no one is going to care. We'll all be dead. 'I am trying to have a good time. I still care about it, and that's why I get upset sometimes and I get disappointed and I get angry at myself. And I think that shows just how much I care about winning and losing. 'But that doesn't mean I need to take it out on Oscar. I just don't get into those kind of things.' Historically, intra-team title battles rarely end well in F1, but Norris continued: 'Yes, he (Piastri) is the guy I want to beat more than anyone else. 'But if I don't beat him, then that's just because he has done a better job. I will do it the way I believe is best for me, and just because one person did it a few years ago, it doesn't mean you have to do that, too. I don't really care about those things.' At the Hungaroring on Friday, Norris completed an impressive practice double – beating Piastri by just 0.019 seconds in the first session before extending his advantage to nearly three tenths later in the day. Norris has never been out-qualified by a team-mate on his six previous visits here, and he will be encouraged by his showing in practice. Over at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has won a record eight times in Hungary and has secured nine pole positions. But the 40-year-old, who remains without a podium in Ferrari colours, struggled for pace on Friday. In the first session, he complained his car didn't 'feel good' and ran off the road at the first corner following a major lock-up. He ended the day in sixth, three tenths and as many places behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. Verstappen ended speculation he could leave Red Bull at the end of the year by committing his future there for at least another season. However, he finished a distant 14th in practice, 1.1 seconds slower than Norris. 'I don't know what is going on,' said Verstappen over the radio. 'It is just undriveable.' Verstappen is also facing a stewards' investigation after he threw a towel – seemingly left in the Dutchman's cockpit by accident – out of his car.
