The Tray
The Waiter's Hill Race returned to Luxembourg City for its fourth edition this weekend, and it is exactly what it sounds like. Waiters carrying trays full of drinks up a hill. The Corniche, specifically, which is steep enough on its own without crates of beer and shots lined up as obstacles along the way.
31 contestants walked the 400-metre course balancing a tray. No running allowed. Spilled drinks meant time penalties. The route included stairs, smoke machines, and what organisers described as "copious amounts of shots" as hindrances. The semi-finals were two laps. The final was four.
The tradition dates back to 1914 in Paris, where professional waiters in traditional garçon attire competed to be crowned the most talented in the city. Luxembourg's version is more eclectic. This year's costumes included hospital patients in g-strings, bumblebees, and what was described as "vast amounts of 80s inspired sports attire."
The format was revamped this year with two semi-finals and a final instead of a single race, to give the hundreds of onlookers more of a spectacle. After the race, finalists took the stage one by one for a performance round. One contestant downed a beer out of his hat.
The winner was Sam Tordy, who came agonisingly close last year. He crossed the line first in 2025 but a dispute sent him on an extra lap, he lost too much liquid from his glasses, and finished fourth. This year he returned with what he called "my outfit and my muscles" and took the title.
It would not be a Gudde Wëllen event without some form of hedonism. Hundreds attended. The waiters were exhausted. A quirky new tradition that is here to stay.