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.
Leigh Boobyer
Live page reporter
Tom Kopke runs to the crowd and shows them his prize: a wheel of Double Gloucester.
He then tells our reporter Steve Knibbs: "I'll tell you one thing. If that hill is hell, I'm the devil." Big words.
Tom Kopke wins first men's downhill race
And just like that, the first race is over!
Tom Kopke from Germany has won it for the third year in a row.
He beat Chris Anderson, who came out of retirement for this event.
And we're off! The first race has officially begun.
Image source, PA MediaWe are just five minutes away from the first race down Cooper's Hill for the 2026 Gloucestershire cheese rolling. Get ready!
Leigh Boobyer
Live page reporter
Morris dancer Lily Doble has the important job of rolling today's first cheese.
"I don't know if it's the altitude that's making me a bit nervous or the fact I'm fighting every urge to throw this down the hill right now," she says.
Clara Bullock
Live page reporter
Image source, PA MediaHundreds of spectators have gathered at the side of the hill and are ready to watch the action.
Fans of the races began gathering from about 08:00 BST.
Finding a decent viewpoint on the incredibly steep slope is almost as difficult as competing in the races themselves. Almost.
Leigh Boobyer
Live page reporter
Chris Anderson has been presented a Guinness World Record certificate for winning the race 23 times, between 2005 and 2022.
He will be competing today as well.
Image source, PA MediaThere are a number of races taking place this afternoon - with the first starting very soon. Here's how things are lined up:
The star of today's show is, obviously, the cheese.
But the people of Gloucestershire are adaptable, and when rationing was in place during the two world wars, they came up with an alternative. Find out more below.
We are now LIVE and streaming from Cooper's Hill.
Our three reporters are bringing you a flavour of the atmosphere and will be sharing all the action and results as they come in.
You can watch by clicking the "Watch live" button at the top of this page.
Leigh Boobyer
Live page reporter
It's not long until the first race. Hundreds of spectators have already planted their feet next to the very steep hill.
How steep? Well it has about a 1:2 gradient meaning for every two metres they travel, the hill drops one metre.
Our team at the scene say the ground conditions are hard, dry, rough and very uneven, with lots of small stones throughout.
There's also a sudden, sharp drop at the beginning. Here's how it looks right now.
Clara Bullock
Live page reporter
Jem Wakeman, the master of ceremonies this year, says this is the hottest cheese rolling event he can remember.
"It's the hottest one I've ever done, I think it will be the hottest one ever," he adds.
Asked who he thinks will win, he says: "I don't know, I think Chris Anderson should do it and I hope he does for the locals."
Earlier, we said cheese rolling as an event began hundreds of years ago.
Well, in the build up to this year's races, footage of people running down Cooper's Hill was uncovered by a local historian.
The footage shows the popular event in quieter times, with well-dressed competitors chasing the famed Double Gloucester.
In one scene, a group of young children hold up one of the cheeses and look directly into the camera, apparently amused by what would have been the rare sight of someone filming them.
Clara Bullock
Live page reporter
Influencer Joel Valentino has arrived at Cooper's Hill to take part in the race.
He has made an outfit out of bubble wrap and says he hopes it will protect him on the way down the hill.
It's quite the look, but we're not sure we can vouch for its protective qualities...
Leigh Boobyer
Live page reporter
Chris Anderson, who has won the race 23 times, is expected to be handed a Guinness World Record certificate later.
No one has won the race as many times as him.
The event itself is also expected to be given a Guinness World Record for being the world's longest-running cheese rolling event. What a title!
Clara Bullock
Live page reporter
The cheese has been paraded to Cooper's Hill by people dressed in home-made animal costumes.
It was then blessed and is ready for action.
It definitely isn't a case of rocking up at a local supermarket to buy a cheese to throw down the hill.
Months of meticulous preparation go into getting the various wheels of cheese ready for each race.
But one of the most lovely parts of the process is the cheeses getting wrapped by residents of a care home near Cooper's Hill.
Watch the video below.
Clara Bullock
Live page reporter
Today is forecast to be the hottest May day on record – with current forecasts showing the possibility of temperatures exceeding 33C in Gloucestershire.
Heat records for May could be broken by nearly 3C, with parts of England expected to hit 35C.
The weather could add to the risk of the race, both for participants and viewers, especially since the heat will have hardened the ground. Make sure to stay hydrated and use sun cream if you're heading out today.
Image source, ReutersIn short: the event is quite risky.
The extreme angle of the hill and the speed at which people fling themselves down it while chasing a cheese mean there are frequent injuries. Last year, the air ambulance had to land nearby and two people were taken to hospital.
The cheese roll is so historic - and popular - that it goes ahead regardless, and entry is done at participants' own risk.
Tewkesbury Borough Council's lead member for environmental services Murray Stewart said there was no formal safety plan for the event and "no official organiser".
"Without this information, the Safety Advisory Group has been left with no alternative but to declare the event unsafe and share this position with the public," she said.
In previous years, ambulances and rapid response vehicles have struggled to access the hill because of the number of people there and the rural nature of the site.