NEWBURYPORT — A winding obstacle course of dinner tables, hula hoops and flying breakfast cereal greeted runners Monday afternoon at a madcap Yankee Homecoming Waiter/Waitress Race on Liberty Street.
Port Vida took home the team spirit trophy award at this year’s fifth-annual race.
Regional manager Paola Gonzalez said her Center Street restaurant entered the competition simply to be part of Yankee Homecoming. But her staff was more than happy to take home the top prize in the process.
“We’re pretty excited,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to win.”
The race is designed to bring attention to local restaurants during tourist-heavy Yankee Homecoming week. Teams from Loretta, Riptide Cafe & Bar, Sea Level Oyster Bar NBPT, Anchor Stone Deck Pizza, Oregano Pizzeria & Ristorante, The Port Tavern, Brine, and Port Vida all came to this year’s party.
Runners had to negotiate their way through a restaurant-themed obstacle course that included tables stacked with full multi-colored water glasses, hula hoops and children tossing handfuls of breakfast cereal at them, all while carrying a full server’s tray to finish the race.
Mayor Sean Reardon was joined by Daily News Sales Manager Maura Harper and Yankee Homecoming General Chair Alysha Robitaille as the race’s three judges.
Michael’s Harborside waitress Caitlin York took first place in the women’s division earning $450 for the win.
“I feel great,” she said. “I really wasn’t expecting this.”
She said her years running track in high school helped prepare her for Monday’s successful race. Being pelted by cereal wielded by smirking children, however, was not in the training manual, so to speak.
“That was new for me,” she said. “But honestly, with all the adrenaline, I didn’t even feel it.”
Seven-year-old Calla Bernstein-Spita was one of many kids throwing cereal this year with her projectile of choice being generic Fruit Loops.
“It was really funny seeing them ducking to get away from the cereal.” she said. “And who doesn’t like cereal?”
Bernstein-Spita’s 5-year-old sister, Sadie, also had a good time chucking cereal.
Jed Groff from Loretta tied with Starbucks Coffee’s Benjamin Hughes for the top men’s finisher. Each contestant received $450 as well.
Groff said he couldn’t believe he won.
“I was just running to run,” he said. “I didn’t expect to have anything happen.”
Each runner had to make it across the finish line with a full tray of water.
Groff was headed for a third-place finish. But both runners in front of him dropped their trays and were disqualified.
“It’s more about balance and speed,” he said.
Hughes said he had been up since 4 a.m. and wasn’t quite sure he’d be ready for the race at 4:30 p.m.
“Honestly, this was so fun,” he said.
Maureen Hughes is a regular customer of Hughes. She was at the race to cheer him on because, she said, he is nice to everybody who comes in to Starbucks.
“He’s fabulous,” she said. “He takes care of everybody and I’m so happy for him.”
Elizabeth Pflaum of Sea Level Oyster Bar NBPT took second place in the women’s category, while Port Vida’s Valentine Tores finished the same in the men’s. Each went home with a $200 check.
“I feel very good,” Tores said through a translator.