In a unique competition featuring 200 of France’s best waiters, the hopefuls bring a lot to the table, including speed, poise, and agility.

Called the Course des Cafés, the event requires servers in uniforms to walk a 1.9-kilometre loop through the streets of central Paris while balancing a round tray laden with a full glass of water, an unfilled coffee cup, and a croissant — symbolizing the classic French breakfast.

Participants are not allowed to run, and they can only hold the tray with one hand at a time. The goal is to finish the race as swiftly as possible, without dropping or spilling anything. As soon as contestants cross the finish line, judges check the trays.

Any glass of water below a 10-centimetre gauge line brings a 30-second penalty. A server with an empty glass is docked a full minute. Broken dishes draw a two-minute penalty, and losing something increases the fine to three minutes.

According to historians, the tradition began in Paris during 1914 and soon spread to London and Berlin. The aim was to foster more respect and recognition for the serving profession. And it worked.

In the ensuing years, similar races were held as far afield as Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and San Francisco.

But, until this year, the French version had been on hold for 12 years due to a lack of sponsors. Then City Hall stepped in to revive the race, which was paid for by the municipality’s water utility as a prelude to the Paris Olympics, which........

© Sarnia Observer