Waiters' race

[3] Held on 24 March,[5] it was intended to promote the "excellence of French service"[4] as part of Paris' intangible cultural heritage, as well as to raise awareness of a lack of staff in the city's hotel-restaurant sector.

The race was open to professionals, apprentices and part-time trainee servers, and began on the square in front of the Hôtel de Ville, the same starting point as the marathon in the then upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics.

Over 200 waiters carried their trays holding a typical French breakfast of a croissant, coffee, and a glass of water for 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) around the Marais district in the city.

Events like this have taken place in the United States; Washington, D.C. operated the Bastille Race for Waiters and Waitresses from 1974 until at least 2006 in which contestants carried a litre of bottled water and a filled drinking glass on their trays, and Brasserie Les Halles in New York City had a similar race with bottles and glasses of Champagne instead of water.

[8] Other towns in the UK have adopted the race by switching out the coffee and croissant for pints of beer.