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The date for the 2025 Cheese Rolling races has been announced. The event sees a nine pound Double Gloucester cheese wheel being thrown down a hill with people initially chasing, then hurtling towards it and whoever catching it first being crowned the winner of he race.

It’s a madcap unofficial event with the emergency services warning people that taking part is at their own risks. Bumps, bruises and broken bones have resulted in the past.

The Cheese Rolling event is set to be held on the late Bank Holiday, on 26th May, in Coopers Hill, near Brockworth. The eagerly anticipated event draws crowds of thousands to the hill with people from all across the world flocking to see and join in with the event.

Cheese Rolling is one of the most bizarre events in Gloucestershire calendar. Intrigues eyes from across the world look to the county which takes centre stage for the day as act of Cheese Rolling baffles the globe.

Timings for Cheese Rolling 2025

• 12pm First Men’s Downhill
• 12.15pm Under 11’s Under 11’s Uphill
• 12.30pm Second Men’s Downhill
• 12.45pm Over 12’s Uphill
• 1pm Women’s Downhill
• 1.15pm Adult Mixed Uphill
• 1.30pm Third Men’s Downhill

Last month, it was announced that cheese rolling – despite its unofficial status – could be among the UK’s cultural events and traditions to be officially recognised and protected in a new heritage list. The Government will be seeking submissions from members of the public to nominate their favourite traditions that best reflect the nation, to be recorded in the new Inventory Of Living Heritage in the UK.

Heritage minister Baroness Twycross said: “The UK is rich with wonderful traditions, from Gloucestershire’s cheese rolling to folk music and dancing and the many heritage crafts that we practise, such as tartan weaving and carving Welsh love spoons. I would encourage everyone to think about what traditions they value so that we can continue to celebrate them, tell our national story to the rest of the world and safeguard the traditions that make us who we are.”

Cheese rolling has celebrated for centuries and thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring. It draws a world-wide audience and attracts people from Europe and even the US and been featured on numerous TV shows, including Rory and Paddy’s Great British Adventures with Rory McGrath and Paddy McGuinness in 2008.

Last year, the event took place after wet weather and Coopers Hill was soft, slippery and very muddy for the competitors who were cheered on by thousands of spectators. The winner of the first men’s downhill race was German Tom Kopke, 22, from Munich.

“I am absolutely buzzing, it was an amazing experience. The unfortunate thing is I can’t really remember anything about it,” Mr Kopke, who runs his own YouTube channel, said.

“I just started and went for the bottom, and that was it. Everyone said rolling is the best strategy but I just football slid downhill, just sliding, and get back on your feet as quickly as possible. 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.”

Rebel cheese rollers have been staging their own unofficial event after health and safety fears caused the official competition to be cancelled in 2010. The cheese is chased 200 yards down the 1:2 gradient Cooper’s Hill at Brockworth.

After a year’s hiatus, when police warned against the use of a real cheese, the imitation lightweight foam cheese was replaced with the genuine article. Long-time cheese-maker Rod Smart, who have produced cheese for the chase for more than 25 years, once again provided the wheels for this year’s event.

Four cheeses weighing about 3kg each and three smaller ones, weighing about 1.5kg, are used. The unusual event has been celebrated for centuries and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring.

The official event was cancelled after more than 15,000 people turned up as spectators to watch the 2009 competition. Since then, it has been held unofficially with the police keeping a watchful eye.

Local roads have been closed up to two-and-a-half miles around the slope. Some competitors travelled from across the world to take part in the series of madcap races, which attracted TV crews from around the world.

The second men’s race of 2025 was won by Dylan Twiss, 25, from Perth, Australia, who said afterwards: “I am slightly surprised.

“I said I was going to win it and I managed to do it. I wasn’t quite sure if I had it or not and I knew there were a lot of people coming in pretty fast. I might eat the cheese at some stage – I haven’t quite decided yet.”

The women’s race was won by Abby Lampe, 23, from North Carolina, US, who picked up a double Gloucester for the second time having first won in 2022.

“I just remember rolling down and my face getting beat up again,” she said. “I was thinking to myself there was only going to be a few seconds and I would get to the bottom at some point and it will be over.

“I found about cheese rolling years ago on the internet and I wanted to defend my title. I don’t know how it looks – only how it feels – but I think I just tumbled down.

“I came out unscathed. My face is a little dirty but that’s about it. I’m going to ship the cheese back home to North Carolina.”

The final men’s downhill race was won by Josh Shepherd, from Gloucester, who has previously won before.