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Paris café waiters' race returns after 13-year absence

Around 200 waiters and waitresses took part in the Sunday race, first held in 1914 and last held in 2011, where they had to walk hurriedly over a course of two kilometres holding a tray containing a cup of coffee, a croissant and a large glass of water, with the winner being he or she who arrived first after spilling none of their load.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Trays of coffee and croissants were held aloft around Paris today in a revival of one of the city's traditional spectacles - a race involving waiters and waitresses from its famous cafés, reports BBC News.

Judges at the end check the amount of liquid that has spilled during the contest, which allows only brisk walking.

The event began in 1914, but has not been held since 2011 due to lack of sponsors. It has been brought back in the run-up to the Paris 2024 summer Olympics.

See the BBC News video report.

La rédaction de Mediapart

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