Watch | Paris revives 110-year-old tradition with quirky waiter race ahead of 2024 Olympics
The Course des Cafés
Waitstaff in Paris took to the streets in a quirky race on Sunday (Mar 24), participating in a tradition that dates back some 110 years.
A few hundred waiters and waitresses donned their uniforms and tried balancingtrays with a pastry, an empty coffee cup, and aglass of waterfor the 2km loop of the Course des Cafés which started and finished at City Hall.
The tradition returned to the city ahead of the Olympics and was held in the heart of the French capital.
Take a look:
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Back after more than a decade
As per Oxford Mail, the revival of the race comes after a 13-year hiatus, and is part of Paris's efforts to shine in the Olympic spotlight and showcase its charm for its first Summer Games in a century.
It celebrates the skilled and, at times, temperamental men and women who have made Parisian restaurants and cafés famous.
As per reports, the first waiters' race took place around 110 years back, in 1914.
Winners of the 2024 race
This year, the winner of the women's category, Pauline Van Wymeersch, completed the race in 14 minutes and 12 seconds. She started working as a server at 16 and, at 34, cannot imagine any other life for herself. Despite the challenges of the profession, she expressed her love and dedication, saying, "It's in my skin. I cannot leave it."
Samy Lamrous won the men's race with a time of 13 minutes and 30 seconds.
Both winners received medals, two tickets each for the July 26 Olympic opening ceremony along the River Seine, and a night at a Paris hotel.
While the event was filled with smiles, participants acknowledged the demanding nature of their jobs. In France, waiters and waitresses are known for their assertiveness and can even be seen as abrupt or moody at times. However, they take pride in their profession and are not afraid to stand their ground.
Highlighting the importance of cafés and restaurants, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, called the city's wait staff "the soul of Paris."
(With inputs from agencies)
