Olympics taster: Paris race celebrates the servers who nourish city’s life and soul via AP News

The resurrection of the waitering race after a 13-year hiatus is part of Paris’ efforts to bask in the Olympic spotlight and put its best foot forward for its first Summer Games in 100 years. The first waiters’ race was run in 1914. This time, a couple of hundred of servers dressed up in their uniforms — with the finest sporting bow ties — and loaded up their trays with the regulation pastry, small (but empty) coffee cup and full glass of water for the 2-kilometer (1 1/4-mile) loop starting and finishing at City Hall. Van Wymeersch, the runaway winner in the women’s category in 14 minutes, 12 seconds, started waitering at age 16, is now 34 and said she cannot envisage any other life for herself.

What a funny scene. Watching these waiters run around with cups on their serving trays doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing, but it’s been going on for years and people turn up. Better than scrolling TikTok, I guess.