Knockouts and broken bones: Humans risk it all to chase cheese down a hill

The things people do for a wheel of cheese. Photo / Getty

Many of us love cheese, and some of us go to great lengths to get our hands on it.

For others, though, their love for cheese is so strong they'll throw themselves down a steep hill against hundreds of other competitors just to try and win the Cheese Rolling Festival.

Hundreds of contestants at the annual Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling Festival risked and sustained injuries as they raced down a steep hill to capture cheese on Sunday.

The winner of the women's race, Flo Early, announced her retirement from cheese-chasing after spraining her ankle, while others lost teeth and one competitor was knocked out.

Another #cheeserolling video pic.twitter.com/erlWgRY3hT

— Tom Bourlet SpaghettiTraveller (@tom_bourlet) May 28, 2019

Run down a hill after some cheese, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

Looks like this bloke knocked himself out - fair play to @BrockworthRFC for acting quickly. He’s back on his feet now, missing a tooth or two.#cheeserolling pic.twitter.com/dkpuuOBvOv

— Rich Leigh (@RichLeighPR) May 27, 2019

Cheese Rolling will never fail to be my favourite day of the year 😂 pic.twitter.com/CeVdD1jQ2H

— Charlotte 🏳️‍🌈 (@chvrlotte__x) May 27, 2019

The mad dash and tumble down Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, covers just 60 metres, but staying on your feet proves nearly impossible.

But what's the key to success?

Four-time women's winner Flo Early says: "If you go fast from the beginning the hill will do the rest."

The tradition of cheese rolling is thought to have its origins in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring.

Competitors race down Coopers Hill during a round of Cheese Rolling. Photo / Getty

It has been held annually on the Spring Bank Holiday for years but the official competition was cancelled in 2009 due to health and safety fears after more than 15,000 people turned up to watch it.

The rebel version has continued, although a police warning in 2013 prompted the use of a lightweight foam cheese instead of the genuine wheel of cheese.

A proper wheel of cheese is awarded to the winners.