'The hill was unforgiving'published at 12:44 British Summer Time 26 May
Tom Kopke from Germany lost some skin off his back but claimed victory on Cooper's Hill for the second year in a row.
Summary
Seven thrilling cheese rolling races have come to an end in Gloucestershire, where our reporters have been bringing you the latest reaction
Cheese lovers chased 7lb (3kg) Double Gloucester wheels down Cooper's Hill - one of the UK's steepest - as part of a centuries-old tradition
Ava, 20, won the women's race but told the BBC she couldn't remember much of her journey downhill, and that she doesn't actually "like cheese"
Luke Briggs, dressed as Superman, won one of the men's races and said he'd "been waiting 30 years for this"
Meanwhile, a woman says she joined the uphill mixed race only to recover her phone at the top of the hill - and ended up winning it
Safety warnings were in place ahead of the event, as with every year, and so far there are reports of at least one competitor being taken to hospital
Watch: How the first cheese rolling race of 2025 unfolded
'The hill was unforgiving'published at 12:44 British Summer Time 26 May
Second men's race running late due to medical treatmentpublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 26 May
The men's second race has been held up due to medical treatment on-going from the first race.
Cheese-osaurus?published at 12:36 British Summer Time 26 May
We have an entrant in a dinosaur suit in the second men's race....
'His ashes are scattered here'published at 12:32 British Summer Time 26 May
The second men's race is in honour of Steve Brain, a multi-cheese winner who died in 2018.
Steve's daughter Brodie told BBC's Georgia Stone her dad was "hard as nails".
"He was my favourite person in the whole world.
"He took the races really seriously - he said his best tip was to stay on your feet.
"He would have loved this event. His ashes are scattered here."
Highlights of the first racepublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 26 May
Media caption, The first race of this years cheese rolling event.
Here is how the day got under way with the first men's race.
One competitor needed medical attention but we understand they are ok.
'I can't feel my legs'published at 12:24 British Summer Time 26 May
The kids races are uphill - for obvious reasons - and the first has been won by a competitor who was out front for much of the contest, despite having to compete with one young lad dressed as Spiderman.
Louie, the breathless boys winner, said: "I feel dead - my legs, I can't feel them.
"I started the bottom running, and then just crawled. Your legs give way and you have to just keep going."
Young Sadie won the cheese for the girls.
How old is the tradition of cheese rolling?published at 12:14 British Summer Time 26 May
The history of cheese rolling in Gloucestershire goes back centuries.
The first written evidence of cheese rolling was found in a message to the Gloucester Town Crier in 1826.
However, the locals will tell you that it had already been around for a long time even by the 1800s.
People say it may have originated as a pagan ritual to celebrate the arrival of spring and to ensure a great harvest.
Another theory suggests it may have been a way for local farmers to assert grazing rights on the hill.
'Mixed' weather conditions expectedpublished at 12:11 British Summer Time 26 May
The first race threw up plenty of dust as the competitors tumbled down the hill. But will it stay dry?
BBC West weather forecaster Ian Fergusson said we should expect "mixed conditions" as the day unfolds, with an increasing risk of showers of up to 70%, some of which are now moving towards Cooper's Hill from the west.
"There will be a brisk and increasingly blustery wind this afternoon soo, all of it adding to some extra challenges to this iconic event," he added.
Double delight for German competitorpublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 26 May
Tom Kopke from Germany has won the first men's race at Cooper's Hill, adding to his victory last year.
Speaking to BBC's Steve Knibbs, Tom, said: "I've never felt better in my life.
"This year I just gave it everything I had - I just dashed forward and tried to get the win, and then I just blacked out."
'The hill will decide what happens'published at 12:00 British Summer Time 26 May
Youtuber Zac competed on the hill six years ago as a "sprightly 26 year old" and is back this year to try and claim the cheese.
Dressed as a "crash test dummy" in a morph suit, Zac told BBC Reporter Georgia Stone it's a "gravity game".
He said: "I've brought five of my best friends and we're going to create some sort of human avalanche and hope to get to the bottom first.
"The hill is going to decide what happens - we're just signing up for the ride of a lifetime."
Winning despite being knocked outpublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 26 May
As we build up to the first race, here's a thought.
In 2023 Canadian competitor Delaney Irving won the women's race despite being unconscious when she crossed the finishing line., external
She had to watch the footage back afterwards to see the winning moment.
Cooper's Hill - not for the faint hearted.
Interesting outfits on displaypublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 26 May
Spectators are now filling the sides of Cooper's Hill as competitors ready for the races.
Will we see the first dinosaur to win a cheese round?
Watch: Cheese roll live streampublished at 11:42 British Summer Time 26 May
Todays events are now available to watch on our live stream.
Hit the play button at the top of this page.
Cheese rolling race timespublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 26 May
Spectators started gathering at Cooper's Hill first thing this morning to bag themselves a good spot to watch the races.
Here is the itinerary for today:
12:00 - 1st Men’s Downhill (in honour of Izzy John)
12:15 - Under 11s Uphill
12:30 - 2nd Men’s Downhill (In honour of Steve Brain)
12:45 - Over 12’s Uphill
13:00 - Women’s Downhill
13:15 - Adult Mixed Uphill
13:30 - 3rd Men’s Downhill
Late cheese-rolling championspublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 26 May
Image source, PAImage caption, Steve Brain holding up his winning cheeses
Two "fearless" late champions of cheese rolling will be remembered at this year's event.
The first downhill men's race will be held in memory of Izzy John, who died in 2015, and the second to Steve Brain, who died in 2018. Both men won more than 30 cheeses between them.
One of Steve Brain's dying wishes was for his ashes to be scattered at the top of Cooper's Hill. His friend Lee Chapman said: "They blew everywhere. He'll always be here."
Izzy John was 13 years old when he chased his first cheese down Cooper's Hill in 1956.
He was 72 when he passed away, and his son Danny said his father was adamant he had won 14 cheeses before retiring from the competition in his mid-20s - though the official record lists 13.
Here's how the 2024 event unfoldedpublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 26 May
Media caption, A look back at the 2024 Gloucestershire cheese rolling
Here's a brief round-up of last year's cheese rolling, where several of the races were won by competitors from overseas.
Event declared 'unsafe'published at 11:26 British Summer Time 26 May
Image source, PA MediaAs popular as the cheese rolling is, it puts a strain on the emergency services.
The local Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group (SAG) has raised concerns over public safety.
The group says one particular concern is how the emergency services would respond if there was a "major incident" with multiple casualties.
Tewkesbury Borough Councillor Murray Stewart said that although the authority does not want to prevent the event from going ahead, it has a duty to the public.
“The Safety Advisory Group has been left with no alternative other than to declare the event unsafe and has a duty to share this with the public," he added.
At previous cheese rolling events, several people have suffered injuries which required emergency treatment by paramedics.
Ambulances have also struggled to access the site.
Youtuber IShowSpeed took part last yearpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 26 May
Image source, PAImage caption, iShowSpeed (in the white t-shirt) at the bottom of Cooper's Hill at the annual cheese rolling event
American Youtuber and rapper Darren Watkins, better known as IShowSpeed, took part in Gloucestershire's famous tradition last year.
But Cooper's Hill is no respecter of celebrity status.
The influencer, who has nearly 40 million subscribers, had to take a trip to the medical tent after he was bashed and bruised from tumbling down the hill.
Steeper than the steepest streetpublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 26 May
How steep is Cooper's Hill?
With an average gradient of more than 45 degrees, Cooper's Hill is steeper than the steepest street in England - understood to be Vale Street in Bristol - which has an almost 22-degree gradient.
That means for every foot a competitor travels, the slope also drops a foot.
The hill is not man made, it is a completely natural slope, and the cheese can reach high speeds - travelling as fast as 70mph.
A snapshot of the eventpublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 26 May
Media caption, The Gloucestershire cheese rolling competitions are taking place today
Never seen the cheese rolling before? Here's some footage from down the years on Cooper's Hill.
