Dutch Student Wins 190-Year-Old Cheese Rolling Race

While most competitors face-planted down a steep English hillside, Niels Wennemars kept his balance and made history.

The 21-year-old from Dalfsen, Netherlands, became the first Dutch person to win the legendary Gloucestershire cheese rolling race on Sunday. Wearing a bright orange Dutch football shirt, he stayed upright while chaos unfolded around him on Coopers Hill's treacherous 180-meter slope.

"All the guys were going crazy fast in the beginning but they were beginning to fall in the middle," Wennemars explained after his victory. "I knew it was going to happen."

His strategy was simple but effective: lean back, take careful steps, and wait for the right moment to sprint. While others tumbled and rolled uncontrollably down the 26-degree gradient, he picked his path carefully before finishing with a triumphant forward roll at the bottom.

The prize? A seven-pound Double Gloucester cheese that contestants chase down the hill. In 190 years of racing, no one has ever caught the cheese during its speedy descent.

Thousands of spectators watched the event broadcast live on BBC as temperatures soared to 30 degrees Celsius. The race has grown so popular that organizers now run three separate men's races, each crowning its own champion.

The Ripple Effect

Wennemars gave up his studies last year to pursue unusual sporting events for his social media channels. His father and brother are Olympic speed skaters, but Niels carved his own path, starting by setting a record climbing the 90 steps of his hometown's viewpoint tower.

Now his unique choice is paying off in unexpected ways. "I'm not exaggerating when I say 200 people had their photo taken with me," he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. "And when I take this cheese with me, I get free drinks everywhere."

His victory shows how following your passion, even down unconventional paths, can lead to moments of pure joy. The young athlete plans to return next year to defend his title, and he knows exactly what to do with his prize.

"I'm going to taste it actually," he told the BBC with a grin, adding proudly that the cheese "belongs to the Netherlands."