While everyone in America was getting drunk at barbecues on Monday, across the ocean near Gloucester, England, throngs of spectators and participants got together for what is now a 200+ year tradition; the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. Thousands of spectators come to watch the 5 downhill and 4 uphill races with the winners taking home the greatest prize of all, the 8 pound Double Gloucester cheese wheel they were chasing.

The Big Picture, as ever, has some incredible hi-res shots that you should check out, in the meantime, let me whet your appetite here.

The usual injuries from this event are concussions and broken bones, but really, when you consider that you get to take home 8 pounds of cheese, I think it's well worth it.

However, I am slightly disappointed in the size of the cheese wheel, they should have varying sizes, I want to see people try and take down like an 8 foot diameter cheese wheel. As loyal reader The Sister noted in passing this link along to me; these are real elite athletes (even if they are British.)

The goal in the race is to conceivably catch the cheese wheel, but being that it gets a one second head-start and can reach speeds up to 70 mph, the winner is usually the first person across the line at the bottom.

Interestingly, during WWII, due to rationing, the race was held using a wooden wheel with a small piece of cheese inside it instead.

[The Big Picture]

After the jump a heap more of the awesome photographs. Enjoy! 

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