Most people slide but racers have been known to do cartwheels and bounce through the air. The chaos is captured on several BBC Gloucestershire videos. Pursuit of the cheese regularly results in scrapes, abrasions, cuts, bruises and the occasional broken bone. To minimize injuries, volunteers spend two weekends clearing the hill of scrub and stinging nettles. Safety fences are erected along the sides of the hill to prevent the tumbling participants from crashing into trees.
Entrants for the down hill races have to be at least 18 years old but children under 12 can participate in the uphill races. After the races are finished, sweets are scattered on the face of the hill for a kids scramble.
And, in the end, the winner takes the cheese.
