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There are many obscure sports out there, but cheese rolling races may just take the cake. The rules are simple: a 7-pound cheese wheel is tossed from the top of a steep hill and the runner who finishes first behind the cheese gets to keep it. On top of the unique subject matter, the chaotic nature of the contest makes for a wild spectacle. The latest race took place in the United Kingdom over the holiday weekend. Out of the four races, the female competition was won in an unlikely manner. The victor, Delaney Irivng, was knocked unconscious on the way down, but still managed to win the race.
Irving, a 19-year-old woman from Vancouver Island, was backpacking around the UK when she decided to sign up for the quirky competition, which has 25 racers max. “At the very top [of the hill], I was just thinking, wow, am I going to do this?” the woman recalled when talking to the CBC. When she felt her body fall, she tucked up to avoid breaking any bones. Shortly after that, everything went dark.
“I remember running, then bumping my head, and then I woke up in the tent,” she said in an interview with the BBC. Despite the confusion, she woke up to a large round cheese on her lap. It was only then that she realized she had won.”I still don’t really believe it, but it feels great.” She then told Greatest Hits Radio Gloucester that she was ok but would head off to the hospital as a precaution.
The annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll race takes place in Brockworth village, near Gloucester. According to Visit Gloucester, the hill is near vertical with a 1:2 gradient and is 200 yards long. This means that it’s almost imposible for runners to stay on their feet. The geometry also propels the cheese to crazy speeds, which can reach up to 70 mph. To protect the bounty, the coveted Double Gloucester cheese—produced by local maker Mrs Smart—is guarded in a wooden casing and decorated with ribbons at the start of the race.
The oldest written record about cheese rolling dates back to 1826, and even then it was described as an old custom. That’s why it is believed that cheese rolling could be up to 600 years old. Keeping up with the tradition, a cheese is rolled down the hill even on years when the race can’t be held, including in 2020 and 2021, when the event was canceled due to the pandemic.
Nowadays, a group of volunteers named Team Cheese run the competition, reporting that spectators make their way from the U.S. and other European nations just to witness the contest. “It puts us [Brockworth village] on the map, makes us a bit famous, draws people in from over the world,” Kyla Hill of Team Cheese says. “I was talking to a couple last night who’d come over from Washington especially.”
Among the other winners of the 2023 races, was Ryoya Minami from Japan. When asked why he entered the race, he replied: “Because I love cheese.” Matt Crolla, from Manchester, also won a race, stating, “I’m glad I’m pretty conscious and I’ve not got many serious injuries.” As for Delaney, she’s recovering from the minor blows she suffered, but cherishes the memory. “I’m definitely sore. I’ve got a lot of bruises. I think next year I just want to watch.”
The annual Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling race attracts spectators and participants from all around the world.
Photo: 1000Words/Depositphotos
This year, the female competition was won in an unlikely manner. The victor, Delaney Irivng, was knocked unconscious on the way down, but still managed to win the race.
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Irving, a 19-year-old woman from Vancouver Island, was backpacking around the UK when she decided to sign up for the quirky competition.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
“I remember running, then bumping my head, and then I woke up in the tent,” she recalls.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Despite the confusion, she woke up to a large round cheese on her lap. It was only then that she realized she had won.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Delaney Irving: Instagram
h/t: [The Guardian]
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