Each spring, on the last Monday in May, a peculiar spectacle unfolds on Cooper’s Hill near Brockworth, Gloucestershire. Thousands of locals and visitors cram the slopes to witness the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling, known locally as cheese rolling Gloucester, where fearless competitors hurl themselves down a 180-metre, near-vertical incline chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. This chaotic, centuries-old ritual, blending danger, tradition, and a touch of British quirk, draws global attention for its sheer audacity. The Gloucester cheese rolling 2025 event, held on 26 May, saw tumbling racers, cheering crowds, and a few hospital visits, cementing its status as a beloved, if controversial, cultural gem.
Roots in the Mists of Time
The Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling’s origins are murky, steeped in local lore. Some trace it back 600 years, possibly to pagan rites welcoming spring or disputes over grazing rights on common land. The earliest written record, a 1826 note to Gloucester’s town crier, describes it as an entrenched custom, suggesting older roots. Village elders whisper of Phoenician influences or misread medieval carvings in Gloucester Cathedral, though historians dismiss these as romantic embellishments. What’s certain is that the event, once tied to Whit Monday, now anchors the Spring Bank Holiday, a shift made in the 20th century to align with modern calendars.
By 2025, the event had evolved from a village lark to a global phenomenon, yet it retains its raw, unpolished charm. Held on 26 May, Gloucester cheese rolling 2025 drew competitors from as far as Japan and New Zealand, all vying for a wheel of cheese and a place in local legend.
How It All Goes Down
The rules are deceptively simple: a 7–9-pound (3–4 kg) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, crafted by Gloucestershire’s own Smart’s Farm, is rolled from the top of Cooper’s Hill. The hill, a 200-yard (180-metre) beast with a 1:2 gradient (about 26.6 degrees), is littered with rocks, nettles, and ruts. The cheese, which can hit 80 miles per hour, is uncatchable, so the first racer to stumble, slide, or tumble across the finish line claims it.
Seven races make up the day: three men’s downhill races, one women’s downhill, two uphill races for kids (under-11s and over-12s), and a mixed adult uphill race. Kicking off at noon, races run every 15 minutes, with the women’s at 13:00 and the final men’s at 13:30. Downhill races are open to anyone over 18, no sign-up needed—just show up at the hilltop. This lack of red tape, while part of the event’s allure, has sparked safety warnings. In 2025, Tewkesbury Borough’s Safety Advisory Group called it “unsafe,” citing no formal organiser and the burden on emergency services, as reported by Gloucestershire Live.
2025 Event Snapshot
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 May 2025 (Spring Bank Holiday) |
| Location | Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth, Gloucestershire, GL3 4SB |
| Start | 12:00 BST, races every 15 minutes |
| Cheese | 7–9 lb Double Gloucester, from Smart’s Farm |
| Hill | 200 yards, 1:2 gradient |
| Entry | Free, no registration, 18+ for downhill |
| Spectators | Free entry, thousands attend; streamed on BBC iPlayer and BBC News |
The 2025 Roll Call of Victors
The 2025 races delivered drama and surprises. Tom Kopke, a 23-year-old German YouTuber from Munich, defended his 2024 title in the first men’s downhill, clutching his 3 kg cheese after a bruising descent. He told the BBC the dry, “treacherous” hill felt like a life-or-death gamble. Local lad Luke Preece, decked out as Superman, took the second men’s race, honouring his father’s racing legacy with a victory lap cheered by family. The women’s race crowned Ava Sender Logan, a 20-year-old London student and first-timer who raced for Refugee Community Kitchen despite disliking cheese. New Zealander Byron Smith, 33, clinched the final men’s race, a step up from his 2024 runner-up spot.
2025 Winners
| Race | Winner | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Men’s Downhill | Tom Kopke | Munich, Germany | Retained 2024 title, YouTuber with 366,000 subscribers |
| Second Men’s Downhill | Luke Preece | Gloucester, UK | Superman costume, family racing tradition |
| Women’s Downhill | Ava Sender Logan | London, UK | First-timer, raced for charity, dislikes cheese |
| Third Men’s Downhill | Byron Smith | New Zealand | Improved from 2024 second place |
| Under-11s Uphill | Not reported | – | Kids’ race, low-key |
| Over-12s Uphill | Not reported | – | Kids’ race, low-key |
| Adult Mixed Uphill | Not reported | – | Mixed ages, less competitive |
Danger on the Slope: The Gloucester Cheese Rolling Death Toll
Cooper’s Hill is unforgiving. Racers often cartwheel down, collecting bruises, sprains, or worse. In 2025, two competitors needed hospital care, one airlifted after the first men’s race, with photos showing an air ambulance on-site as noted by the Daily Mail. The South Western Ambulance Service had an air ambulance and five land units on standby. Past races have seen broken ankles, dislocated shoulders, and, in 2023, Canadian Delaney Irving knocked unconscious. Yet, remarkably, the Gloucester cheese rolling death toll stands at zero, a fact locals tout with pride.
Still, safety concerns loom large. The event’s unofficial status—no organiser, no insurance—worries authorities. In 2010, health and safety fears led to an official cancellation, but locals, dubbed “rebel rollers,” kept it alive. In 2025, the Tewkesbury Safety Advisory Group flagged risks of a “mass casualty incident,” noting the A46’s access issues. Gloucestershire Constabulary urged restraint, but the crowds came anyway.
From Village Green to Viral Fame
Once a parochial affair, the cheese rolling now pulls in racers from Australia, Canada, Japan, and beyond. The Guardian labelled it “world-famous” in 2013, and its reach has exploded with social media. Viral clips of epic tumbles flood YouTube and Instagram, while the BBC’s 2024 live stream set a precedent for 2025’s coverage. Thousands lined Cooper’s Hill in 2025, some perched in trees, others behind safety fences at the base.
Locally, it’s a badge of honour. The Double Gloucester, supplied by Diana Smart and son Rod at Smart’s Farm since 1988, embodies Gloucestershire’s dairy heritage. Each cheese, wrapped in a wooden case and ribboned, is a ceremonial centrepiece. The Cheese Rollers Bar & Restaurant in Shurdington, lined with old cheese casings, keeps the spirit alive year-round.
More Than a Race
The cheese rolling is a cultural touchstone, weaving history, community, and defiance. The Master of Ceremonies scatters biscuits and sweets at the hilltop, a nod to ancient fertility rites. In 2025, the same official lit a cigarette on live BBC coverage, thumbing his nose at modern norms. A local’s wartime quip to writer Kenneth Hare called it older than “newfangled” sports like football, and its survival through rationing (using wooden cheese replicas) and cancellations proves its grit.
But challenges persist. With no official oversight, emergency services strain under the event’s weight. A CapX writer argued in 2025 that injuries from “self-inflicted” risks, especially by foreign racers, tax the NHS unfairly. Yet defenders see its lack of bureaucracy as its soul—a rare, unfiltered expression of human spirit.
Looking to the Hill’s Next Roll
The Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling, from its shadowy origins to its 2025 spotlight, thrives on its raw energy. Local heroes like Luke Preece and global stars like Tom Kopke embody its universal pull. As Cooper’s Hill braces for another May, the event rolls on, a defiant, cheese-chasing testament to tradition in a cautious world.
