This is an unusual race, to say the least, and it is not run in cheese country, the Netherlands, but in Gloucestershire in the UK.

A Dutchman, Niels Wennemars, was the winner of one of the races held on 25 May of this year.

The competitors aim to catch the cheese; however, it has around a one-second head start and can reach high speeds, enough to knock over and injure a spectator. The first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese, even though the cheese is never actually caught.

The men compete in three downhill races and Niels Wennemars won the second one. Young Niels was a first-time contestant in this race, and when asked why he wanted to compete, he said: “Cheese belongs to The Netherlands, and I want to bring it home.”

The origins of this race are not really known. It was first described in 1836, but it is believed to be a much older tradition, at least six hundred years old, they think.