Paris crowns waiter champion in unique 'cafe race' ahead of Olympics

The secret to her race victory was “20 years of work and good legs,” she told Agence France-Presse.

In addition to medals, both winners will receive a stay at a luxury hotel, according to the city's water agency Hauts de Paris, which organized the event.

“Congratulations to everyone who took part,” Corpse wrote on X (formerly Twitter), along with a video of Lamrousse gasping for air after breaking the tape.

A jury waited at the finish line to judge both athletes' times and the amount of drink spilled from the unbalanced rim.

Hundreds of onlookers lined the roadside or applauded from roadside cafe tables as the waiters clenched their jaws and maneuvered the trays, trying to keep the precious cargo intact.

Some people were running energetically and using trays to perform acrobatic movements to slip through gaps and pass.

“My thighs are a little tight, but it's mainly a concentration problem,” Lamorous said.

“There are so many people supporting us, so we have to maintain a balance.In the end, we were able to turn things around in a typical Parisian way,'' he said of his first victory.

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First held in 1914, the Course des Garçons de Café (Café Waiter Race) was held on a Sunday for the first time since 2011. It's four months before the Olympics are held in July and his August.

This year the challenge has been rechristened as the “Course des Cafés” or “Café Races”, as the derogatory “garcon” (“boy”) is now rarely used to refer to waiters.

Unlike the Lycra-clad Olympic waiters, the waiters wore white shirts, dark pants and aprons provided by the organizers.

Seen off by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, the 200 participants started and finished the race at City Hall on the banks of the Seine.

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“I came here yesterday to scout the situation,” said Thierry Petit, who celebrated his 40th anniversary as a waiter in Paris on race day.

“It's a real breeze to celebrate with so many people today in an Olympic year,” he added.

“This was a way to highlight the culture of our city,” said Pierre Rabadin, vice mayor for sports and the Olympics, who himself took part in the race.

“Waiters in cafes and restaurants are a very powerful symbol of French culture,” he added. Many visitors will be looking forward to experiencing it this summer.

All medalist waiters will be invited to the Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 26th.