The race lasted a good twenty minutes. Samy Lamrous, 26, emerged victorious with the best time and a perfectly balanced tray. Dozens of waiters and waitresses competed on the streets of Paris this Sunday to win the Waiter’s Race, ahead of the Olympics.
Everyone gathered in front of the city hall to take part in the revival of this unique race. Due to lack of sponsors, the last edition in Paris was held in 2011.
“To prepare, I came yesterday to scout out the route,” says Thierry Petit, celebrating his fortieth birthday on the same day as a waiter at a brasserie in Paris. “After that, I ate an andouillette and had a beer, that’s about it,” laughs this nearly sixty-year-old, with a suburban accent. “But celebrating here, with all these people, especially in an Olympic year, it gives me wings!”
Blue aprons, spotless white shirts, tight jaws, and balanced trays… Hospitality professionals of both genders and all ages, often accompanied by colleagues, gathered at the starting line. A coffee, a glass of water, and a croissant: that was the load they had to carry elegantly in one hand for two kilometers in the heart of the Marais district.
“A jury awaited them at the finish line to check their time but also the levels of the beverages. “We do this for twelve hours every day, including weekends and holidays,” reminds Pauline Van Wymeersch, waitress at Café Le Petit Pont in Paris, and first place winner in the women’s category. Her secret? “Twenty years of experience and strong legs.”
Like most participants, Samy Lamrous, headwaiter at the Parisian restaurant La Contrescarpe, did not specifically prepare for the competition: “I just went with the flow and did what I was told, as usual.” “It’s a bit tough on the thighs but it’s mostly a matter of concentration: you have to maintain your balance while people are cheering for you… but in the end, I did my ”Parisian comeback” and clinched the first place.”
The competition will be held again next year. The winners of this edition are invited to the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 26th.
