AFP - Monday, May 26 10:08 am
LONDON (AFP) - Scores of foolhardy competitors were on Bank Holiday Monday gearing up to pitch themselves down a steep hill in pursuit of an eight-pound cheese as part of Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling event.
Entrants will take part in one of five events, all of which involve scrambling, slipping and sliding down a very steep 200-metre slope in the hope of being the first to grab hold of the coveted Double Gloucester cheese.
Medics were on standby for the inevitable spate of injuries resulting from the chase down Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, which in places has a 1:1 gradient.
Following heavy rain over the weekend, conditions were likely to be wet and muddy.
The highest number of people injured during the event, which dates back at least 200 years, was in 1997 when medics treated 33 people for injuries ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones.
Each race will include up to 20 competitors, with one race set aside for women only.
Winners are presented with a double Gloucester cheese.
Double Gloucester is an unpasteurised, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the 16th century.
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