Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling 2026: what to know before Gloucester’s wildest Bank Holiday race

If you are trying to work out what on earth happens at Cooper’s Hill each spring, start with our full Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling winners table — then come back here for the practical bit.

The short version: a wheel of Double Gloucester is sent off down a very steep hill near Brockworth, runners chase after it, and gravity does most of the storytelling. The first person over the finish line wins the cheese. The cheese itself usually has other ideas.

When is Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling 2026?

The 2026 Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is expected on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May 2026. The event traditionally takes place at Cooper’s Hill, near Brockworth, between Gloucester and Cheltenham.

What actually happens?

Competitors race down the hill after a wheel of Double Gloucester. The course is short — often described as around 200 yards — but the hill is steep, uneven and famously unforgiving. Multiple races are usually held, including men’s downhill, women’s downhill and uphill races for younger competitors and adults.

• Downhill races are the headline spectacle, with separate men’s and women’s races.
• Uphill races are less hair-raising and include children’s categories.
• The cheese gets a head start, so the real aim is usually to be first over the finish line, not to catch it.
• Good footwear, sensible viewing spots and a bit of patience are strongly advised. This is a rural hillside, not a seated stadium.

Where is it?

Cooper’s Hill is at Brockworth, just outside Gloucester. For Cheltenham readers, it is one of those wonderfully odd local traditions that sits close enough to feel like a Bank Holiday adventure, but famous enough to pull in competitors and cameras from far beyond Gloucestershire.

Why does everyone talk about it?

Because it looks completely impossible until someone wins it — and then someone else does it again. The event has produced repeat champions, international winners, dramatic tumbles and one of Gloucestershire’s most recognisable annual images: people pursuing cheese down a hill at speeds that make knees nervous.

Who has won before?

We have pulled together a living archive of recorded winners across all available categories, from the older records through to 2025. See the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling winners page for the full table and source notes.

Sources and further reading: BBC guide to Gloucestershire cheese rolling SoGlos event guide Cheltenham Times winners archive