Summary

  • The annual cheese rolling races, where competitors chase a 7lb Double Gloucester down Cooper's Hill, have featured multiple overseas winners

  • In the first race, German YouTuber Tom Kopke completes his hat-trick of successive wins, fending off a challenge from Chris Anderson

  • There was joy for the Anderson family however, as his son William, aged 11, won the first children's race

  • Competitors have come from all over the world, including Japan, the USA, Poland and France

  • The races are taking place on what is officially the hottest May day recorded in the UK

  • Where are you watching our cheese rolling stream from? Send us a photo via WhatsApp, external.

  1. Next up - the ladiespublished at 12:55 BST 25 May

    Coming your way at 13:00 BST, the first ladies' race of the day.

    In previous years we have seen some drama in this event, including a winner being knocked unconscious on the line.

    Fingers crossed they all get to the bottom unhurt this time.

  2. Another win for Anderson familypublished at 12:54 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Xander, who is also part of the Anderson family, has won the boys category in the uphill race.

    The 16-year-old says: “My legs. I couldn’t feel them. I was just pushing for it.”

    “I’ve come second three times in a row."

  3. Winner Dotty: 'I’m just so happy to be winning this'published at 12:52 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Media caption,

    Dotty on her uphill cheese rolling win

    Dotty tells us: “It feels so great. I’ve been training for this for ages. I’m just so happy to be winning this.

    “I came here yesterday and was practicing techniques, going up the hill. All through the week I’ve been training. I’m so pleased."

    But the 11-year-old is not planning to eat her winning cheese by herself.

    “Sometimes I try to avoid cheese because I get eczema so I might share this with my family and friends,” she says.

    Dotty is standing on top of the hill in a pink T-Shirt holding up her cheese.
  4. 'It was so fun but a little bit painful'published at 12:50 BST 25 May

    Clara Bullock
    Live page reporter

    Udai from Tokyo said taking part in the second men's race was "fun but painful".

    He quit his job as a teacher to travel around the world and said he wanted to see what the cheese rolling was all about.

    The races are the "craziest" thing he has ever done, he added - but promised to be back next year.

  5. Dotty wins for the girlspublished at 12:50 BST 25 May

    Dotty, 11, has won for the girls in the upill race for children aged 11-17.

  6. Anderson family dominating children's racespublished at 12:49 BST 25 May

    Xander, 16, also part of record-holder Chris Anderson's family, has won the uphill race in the boys category for children aged 11-17.

  7. Fourth race under waypublished at 12:44 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    And we're off - a couple of minutes early! Children aged between 11 and 17 are racing up the hill - some dressed in onesies.

  8. Next up - the kids againpublished at 12:42 BST 25 May

    Coming your way at 12.45 is the next children's race, for those aged 11-17.

    Imagine going up a hill that steep on a day this hot. Well, you won't have to imagine for much longer...

  9. Winner's cheese 'belongs to Netherlands'published at 12:41 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Winner Niels, from the Netherlands, says he enjoyed the race.

    "It was way better than I thought it was. I was so locked in up that hill. The adrenaline was so high. When the adrenaline is there, it's fun. And we did it.

    "What I thought happened, happened. All the guys were going crazy fast in the beginning but they were beginning to fall in the middle. I knew it was going to happen.

    "But if you try to stay, and lean back and step at the last point and just go, you will win it," he says.

    "I'm going to bring it home. I'm going to taste it actually. It belongs to the Netherlands," Niels adds.

    Asked if he will return to defend his title, he says yes.

  10. 'I put my first step then everything went black'published at 12:40 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Three men are standing shoulder to shoulder to eachother.

    We spoke to some more contestants from the first race.

    One man, dressed in green and a helmet came from Germany, and says: "I didn't know it had started. Everyone started running. I put my first step then everything went black."

    Benny, also from Germany, says: "The training didn't pay out. The moment it started I didn't hear them counting, I just heard 'cheese, cheese, cheese'."

    JP, from USA, says: "I've been doing research in Cambridge, and I was like I need to see this cheese before I head back state-side.

    "And man, what a gradient descent. That hill was crazy. I didn't anticipate how steep it would be. I had to do it because of the love of the game."

  11. 'Expect more beasts next year'published at 12:37 BST 25 May

    Clara Bullock
    Live page reporter

    James Piper, the unofficial co-organiser of the cheese rolling, said he has been trying to bring more traditions back.

    "It was emotional, it took about a year to get the event together with the Morris Dancer and bring back the older folk traditions," he said.

    "There was a maypole and dancing.

    "We're going to involve more people next year with more unusual dances - and more beasts."

  12. Photo finishpublished at 12:35 BST 25 May
    Breaking

    After a bit of confusion about who managed to cross the line first, a Dutch football fan named Niels (hopefully we've spelled that right!) has clinched the title in the second men's race.

    Gefeliciteerd!

  13. Third race is about to startpublished at 12:29 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    The third race is about to start, with various people dressed in costume. We've even got a Wallace and Gromit!

  14. Winner proud of herselfpublished at 12:29 BST 25 May

    Ariadne won the under-10s uphill race in the girls category.

    She says she is proud of herself and the race was "harder than she thought it would be".

  15. 'We've got a winner in the family now'published at 12:28 BST 25 May

    Clara Bullock
    Live page reporter

    William, 11, says the race was "good and tiring".

    He adds he wants to follow in his father's footsteps and compete in the men's downhill race one day.

    His dad says having a winner in the family makes up for him missing out on taking first place in the men's first downhill race earlier.

    A boy and girl hold up a roll of cheese.
  16. Son of 23-time champion wins second racepublished at 12:22 BST 25 May

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Media caption,

    Children's uphill race won by son of 23-time champion

    Wow. What a moment.

    The son of 23-time champion and Guinness World Record winner Chris Anderson, 11-year-old William, wins the second race of the day in the boy's category.

    A reminder that his dad came in second place in the first race.

  17. Second race startspublished at 12:17 BST 25 May
    Breaking

    Leigh Boobyer
    Live page reporter

    Children aged 10 and younger are currently racing UP the hill as part of our second competition. Stay tuned for the results.

  18. Former competitor says race is 'the scariest thing'published at 12:15 BST 25 May

    Sam Clayton has travelled down from Manchester to watch the action at the bottom of Cooper's Hill.

    It's a change from 10 years ago when he competed in the event.

    “People think this is like a quaint old English tradition, which it is, but it's not quaint and it’s not easy.

    “Honestly, I’ve done a lot of extreme sports stuff… that, hands down, was the scariest thing I’ve ever done," he says.

  19. Next up - the children's racepublished at 12:11 BST 25 May

    At 12.15 BST we will have the first of the children's races, for kids aged 10 and under.

    Young children flinging themselves down that precipice? Surely not.

    Correct, the kids races are all uphill.

  20. 'I was so scared at the top'published at 12:08 BST 25 May

    Clara Bullock
    Live page reporter

    Chris Anderson, who was earlier awarded a record for most cheese races won, came second in the first race.

    He says: "I was so scared at the top. I saw Tom come past me and knew it was over.

    "I'm glad one of us won it."