A Cheese is the star for which event? And why are they running down a hill to chase it?

 A lot of people are wondering...

What are these people running, and what are they running after?

I will tell you; it is the annual 'Cooper's Hill Cheese-Wheeling and Wake' event, and its hosted every year in the wonderful Coopers Hill in Gloucester, England.

Its funny, because people will run down a steep hill just for a wheel of cheese. 

The history is kinda bleak on why this festivities happen but sources say it was in a message written by a town crier (someone who reports news by their voice) in 1826. Some had said that it was because of maintaining grazing rights. (granting permission to use land for livestock to feed)

I'm guessing with that theory, people would slide down on a hill to "mow" the grass for the cows to eat, if I'm not mistaken.

There are theories that stated that its to symbolize the new year based on the Pagan origins as the custom of rolling things, like this event. 

'Pagan' means "a person who has no religious beliefs" who would create a traditional stance for the struggling times. 

So how it works is this: They break it down between men and women and children over 12 in competitions. They would have to stand in the starting line while the representative has a cheese wheel.

Cheese Wheel is in fact, from Gloucestershire and it stands as a 7 pound to 9 pound hard Double Gloucester, (which in the past has used fake ones, but lately, it returned back to the real thing) decorated with ribbons. 

That's what the cheese looks like

The winner of the prize gets money and a lot of attention for several days!