Paris revives century-old wait-staff race ahead of Olympic Games

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The famous, or infamous, wait staff of Paris are put to the ultimate test of speed and poise in a 2-kilometre circuit through the Olympic city's streets.

Usain Bolt's sprint world records were never in danger, but even the world's fastest human likely wouldn't have been so quick while balancing a tray with a croissant, a coffee cup and a glass of water through the streets of Paris, without spilling them everywhere.

Why? Because they make France's cafes and restaurants tick. Without them, where would the French gather to put the world to rights over drinks and food? Where would they quarrel and fall in, and out of, love? And where else could they simply sit and let their minds wander?The French are turning their backs on the iconic bistros of Paris, with hundreds shutting their doors as tastes change and newcomers make their mark on the city's coffee scene.

The first waiters' race was run in 1914, although "walked" might be the more accurate parlance because competitors must not break into a run. "I have been shaped, in life and in the job, by the bosses who trained me and the customers, all of the people, I have met."Lamrous, who won the men's race in a time of 13:30, waits at La Contrescarpe, in Paris's fifth district. Their prizes were medals, two tickets each to the July 26 Olympic opening ceremony along the River Seine and a night out at a Paris hotel.

"It's not lack of respect, rather it's more a state of mind," he said. Switching to English, he added: "It's very Frenchie.""The bistro is where we go to meet people, where we go for our little coffee, our little drink, where we also go to argue, to love and embrace each other," she said.Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Friday.

 

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