A giant hill, a mass of people and one wheel of cheese. That’s essentially the entire premise behind the sport of cheese rolling.

While popular in many places, the true epicenter is at Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester in England, where the event takes place every year. 

No entry form, no fees, no qualifiers, you simply show up at the top of the hill. From what I can tell, the steepness is most similar to that of a black diamond in skiing.

Food rationing was introduced in 1941 so a wooden ‘cheese’ was used until 1954. The whole event was cancelled in 1998 because the previous year had 33 injuries. The current cheese is a 7-9 lb. Double Gloucester wheel.

First recorded event was in 1884.

Three races for men per year, one for the ladies and one for kids.

Chris Anderson is currently the man to beat, winning 15 cheeses over 11 years.

All time record holder is Stephen Gyde with a total of 20 cheeses over a period of 14 years.  

The next event is on the 28th May 2018.

Final question. Sport? Or Activity?