UK: Brockworth's cheese rolling race comes with free bruises

Once a year, things get wild on Cooper's Hill near the English village of Brockworth. The cheese race has a long tradition in the county of Gloucestershire and may date back to a pagan spring festival. It was first mentioned in documents in 1826, but a few years ago the number of visitors ballooned and the event is now only held unofficially.

What's the purpose of this cheese race? And who needs it? An entire wheel of "Double Gloucester" cheese and fame and glory await whoever manages to get hold of it. If that's not reason enough...

From the top of the hill, the cheese wheel is rolled down the slope. Seconds later, the participants rush after it. They run, roll, somersault — and sometimes crash into each other. Most of the participants do not prepare for this descent and run the risk of injury. Paramedics are, of course, on site.

Some even forgo protective clothing and plunge half-naked down the hill. According to legend, apprentice coopers and their master barrel makers used to climb the hill. The apprentices would bring the last barrel they had made and push it down. If it survived the hill, the apprentices became respectable coopers. When nobody built barrels anymore, they simply used cheese.

While the spectators behind a barrier all around chant the same battle cry "Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!," the competitors stumble down the steep slope — hoping to win without suffering too many injuries.

This year's winner of the women's Cheese Rolling competition is Abby Lampe. Even though everyone has the same goal, women throw themselves down the slope separately from the men.

This year's men's victory goes to the German Tom Kopke. "I'm absolutely thrilled," says the 22-year-old from Munich. When asked why he traveled from Germany for this event, Kopke briefly pointed to the people and the hill behind him. "I love this event. It's just crazy." He said he had promised the cheese to his grandmother.