STORY: Armed with a tray carrying a coffee, water and a croissant, hundreds of Parisian waiters raced through the French capital Paris on Sunday (September 21) raising awareness of the quintessential role of 'The Cafe' in French culture.

The race attracted crowds of onlookers cheering on the contestants - who were instructed to walk, not run, with their trays, use only one hand, and not to spill or drop any of their cargos.

Kathleen McNamara and her husband Ray Bidegain, from Portland, Oregon, were among those who turned out to watch.

"We love the waiters", McNamara said, adding they were "the essence of France".

Contestant Victorine Derouet, 25, had only been working as a waitress for nine months since moving to Paris, but she was ready to take on "a little personal challenge" alongside her more experienced colleagues.

The winner of the race, 27-year-old Gibi Ndemane, said he and others had been training for the event.

The capital's cafes and restaurants "are the soul of Paris internationally" said Paris deputy mayor Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, saying the importance of the sector was one reason for the return of the historic 'Cafe Race' last year after a 12-year gap.

The race course of around three kilometres - or roughly two miles - started from Paris' ornate city hall, passing the Pompidou modern art museum in the city's historic Marais district and along the Seine river.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF COMPETITORS IN PROFESSIONAL WAITERS RACE LINED UP AT START LINE

2. BANNER READING (French): “CAFE RACE”, COMPETITORS LINED UP AT START LINE

3. GO-PRO SHOT OF COUNTDOWN AND STARTING SIGNAL, WAITERS BEGINNING RACE

4. WAITERS RACING PAST SPECTATORS

5. GO-PRO SHOT OF WAITERS RACING PAST ST JAQUES TOWER

6. WAITERS TURNING CORNER

7. GO-PRO SHOT OF WAITERS ENTERING SMALL STREET BETWEEN CAFES

8. WAITERS AT HEAD OF RACE

9. GO-PRO SHOT OF WAITERS PASSING POMPIDOU CENTRE ART MUSEUM

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM PORTLAND IN UNITED STATES, KATHLEEN MCNAMARA, 61, SAYING:

“Oh we love the waiters, they’re so… they’re so Paris! They’re so French. Yes, the essence of France, right?”

11. ORGANISER SETTING OUT TRAYS FOR COMPETITORS

12. BARISTA MAKING COFFEES

13. COFFEE BEING MADE FROM MACHINE

14. COMPETITOR AND WAITRESS, VICTORINE DEROUET, 25, SPEAKING TO MASTER OF CEREMONIES

15. DEROUET HOLDING HOT CHOCOLATE

16. DEROUET SPEAKING

17. (SOUNDBITE) (French) COMPETITOR, VICTORINE DEROUET, 25, SAYING:

“I thought it might be fun. I thought it was funny, especially since I started in the restaurant business nine months ago. So, here's a little personal challenge. And then I thought it might be fun for me.”

18. TRAYS SET UP WITH WATER, COFFEE AND CROISSANT FOR COMPETITORS

19. SPECTATORS APPLAUDING WAITERS RACING ALONG SEINE RIVER

20. DEROUET WAVING AT PEOPLE ON THE BRIDGE ABOVE

21. GO-PRO SHOT OF DEROUET SPINNING AROUND AS SHE PASSES BAND PLAYING UNDER BRIDGE

22. SPECTATOR, CHLOE GHIRI, CHEERING

23. (SOUNDBITE) (French) SPECTATOR, CHLOE GHIRI, 19, SAYING:

“It's really a moment of French culture, we highlight our heritage, Parisian-style coffee is something quite exceptional and that we only see in France, so I think it (race) brings this to light.”

24. VARIOUS OF WAITERS RACING ALONG THE SEINE

25. FIRST WAITERS CROSSING FINISH LINE

26. FIRST WAITER TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE, GIBI NDEMANE, 27 SMILING AND WAVING

27. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FIRST WAITER TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE, GIBI NDEMANE 27, SAYING:

“I'm happy to participate in this race because, well, I prepared well for it. So it's good.”

JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION ABOUT PREPARATION

“Yeah, we prepared well. We were always doing cardio. And then, at the gym, we were always preparing for it.”

28. WAITERS ARRIVING AT FINISH LINE

29. WAITERS GATHERING AFTER FINISHING RACE

30. VARIOUS OF DEPUTY MAYOR OF PARIS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMERCE, NICOLAS BONNET-OULALDJ, SPEAKING ON STAGE

31. (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEPUTY MAYOR OF PARIS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMERCE, NICOLAS BONNET-OULALDJ, SAYING:

“The cafes, the bistros, our restaurants, our gastronomy, they are the soul of Paris internationally. This is what is echoed around the world. They are also very powerful images from a cultural point of view, because everyone remembers Amelie Poulain (character from 'Amelie' film). Yves Montand (singer) played a role as a waiter, which was a remarkable film. So the cafe waiter and the waitress, they are the soul of Paris, they are what makes Paris live. It's something very important. So, as Deputy Mayor for Commerce, it was important for me to give them back the opportunity to run their race.”

32. BONNET-OULALDJ CONGRATULATING NDEMANE, NDEMANE GETTING ON PODIUM AND WAVING TO SPECTATORS

33. NDEMANE LOOKING ON

34. NDEMANE WAVING TO SPECTATORS

35. NDEMANE STANDING WITH OTHER TOP PLACING COMPETITORS

36. EXTERIOR OF PARIS TOWN HALL

37. FRENCH AND EU FLAGS FLYING FROM TOP OF TOWN HALL

PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - 1929) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE) (MONOCHROME)

38. VARIOUS OF WAITERS TAKING PART IN RACE

39. WINNER CARRIED ON COMPETING WAITERS' SHOULDERS