The funniest photos as the Gloucestershire cheese rolling race returns

Ross McGuinness
Updated ·2 min read

Watch: Gloucester cheese rolling returns for Jubilee year

Hundreds of daredevils hurled themselves down a hill in Gloucester as the famous cheese rolling competition returned.

Cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Cooper's Hill cheese rolling event was held once again on Sunday.

The bizarre tradition sees competitors hurtle down a 200-yard stretch of hill in pursuit of a 3kg round of Double Gloucester cheese.

Eventual winner, Robbe Gabriels, tumbles down the famous Gloucestershire hill in pursuit of the cheese. (Getty)
Eventual winner, Robbe Gabriels, tumbles down the famous Gloucestershire hill in pursuit of the cheese. (Getty)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Contestants in the men's downhill race chase the cheese down the hill on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Contestants in the men's downhill race chase the cheese down Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire. (Getty Images)
Contestants hurl themselves down the hill in the cheese rolling contest in Gloucester. (Getty Images)
Contestants hurl themselves down the hill in the cheese rolling contest in Gloucester. (Getty Images)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Contestants in the women's downhill race chase the cheese down the hill race during Gloucestershire's famous Cheese-Rolling contest on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Contestants in the women's downhill race chase the cheese. (Getty Images)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Abby Lampe from North Carolina celebrates her win with the cheese in the woman's race on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Abby Lampe, from North Carolina, celebrates her win with the cheese in the woman's race in Gloucester. (Getty Images)

The cheese, which has a one-second head start, can reach speeds of up to 70mph on the 1:2 gradient.

A number of races were held on Sunday as part of the event, which is believed to be at least 600 years old.

Read more: Heart-stopping moment tourist slips and almost falls 120ft from Dorset cliff top

Renowned cheese chaser Chris Anderson, from the village of Brockworth, won the 23rd race of his career on Sunday, and vowed that it would be his final time competing in the event.

GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Chris Anderson takes part in the man's downhill race on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Chris Anderson (in the Union flag top) takes part in the men's downhill race on Sunday. (Getty Images)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Chris Anderson poses for a photo with the cheese after winning the first man's downhill race on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Chris Anderson holds up the cheese he won after his race on Sunday. (Getty Images)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Robbe Gabriels and Amr El Shourbagya kiss the the Jubilee Cheese after their win in the Man's Downhill Jubilee race during the annual Bank Holiday tradition of cheese-rolling on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Robbe Gabriels and Amr El Shourbagya were the joint winners of the final men's race of the day. (Getty Images)
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Contestants in the men's downhill race chase the cheese down the hill on June 05, 2022 in Gloucester, England. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake annual event returns this year after a break during the Covid pandemic. It is held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester and this year it happens to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Participants race down the 200-yard-long hill after a 3.6kg round of Double Gloucester cheese. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Cheese rolling contestants are warned they participate at their own risk. (Getty Images)

He had won 22 races over the course of 15 years, winning three races in 2018 alone.

The cheese rolling event is now officially classified as an extreme sport. Competitors are warned that they participate in the dangerous event at their own risk.

Emphasising the international pull of the event, the last men's race was jointly won by Robbe Gabriels, from Belgium, and Amr El Shourbagya, from Egypt.

They told the BBC: "We need a knife to cut the cheese to share it."