Around Lake Annecy by bike, trail run or bus: the distance and timings of each option
37 to 42 km on the cycle path, 100 to 105 km along the ridges for the MaXi-Race, a shoreline of 32 km or 45 km depending on who measures. The three ways of going round the lake, with the 2026 start times of the race and the 2027 edition not yet announced.
"Going round Lake Annecy" means three things of very different lengths: the bike loop along the shores, the running race that circles the lake over the summits, and the plain shoreline of the lake itself. Searching for all three under the same name produces figures that seem to contradict each other.
This page sets out all three, with their distances, and goes into detail on the option visitors know least: the MaXi-Race, whose 2026 edition was run at the end of May and whose 2027 edition has not been announced.
How far is it around Lake Annecy?
Photo: Hans Hagenaars, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- By bike: 37 to 42 km depending on the source, with 37 km and 40 km both published by the tourist office itself, for 200 to 300 m of climbing.
- The lake's shoreline: 32 km according to Larousse, but 45 km for the tourist office's "full loop", with no mode of travel specified.
- On foot along the ridges: 100 to 105 km and 5,700 to 6,100 m of ascent for the one-day tOur du lac of the MaXi-Race.
The gap between 32 and 45 km for the same shoreline depends on what you follow: the waterline, or the roads that move away from it around the bays. The gap between 37 and 42 km by bike comes from the starting point and the east shore variants. All of this is covered in cycling around the lake.
What is the MaXi-Race?
A trail running event that circles the lake through the mountains over a weekend at the end of May, with several formats: the solo tOur du lac in one day, solo over two days, as a relay, the Quart de tOur, the Demi-tOur, the Ado-Race and the Mini-Race for children.
The race village and bib collection are in Annecy, at the Marquisats. Some races start from the Semnoz, including the Quart de tOur. The route strings together the high ground above the lake, which explains the climbing: a loop around a lake below 500 m altitude that adds up to six kilometres of ascent.
The two-day format is slightly longer: 104 to 108 km for 6,300 to 6,700 m of climbing. The organisers give ranges rather than fixed values, because the routes change from one edition to the next.
What were the 2026 start times?
The 2026 edition took place on 29, 30 and 31 May 2026. Friday was given over to bib collection, the race village and the Mini-Race in the evening.
- Saturday, one-day solo tOur du lac: start at 1:45am according to two sources, at 1:25am according to a third. The official race booklet we consulted does not settle it.
- Saturday, Quart de tOur: 9am for men and 9.10am for women.
- Sunday, Demi-tOur: 8am.
The booklets state that times may vary slightly depending on start waves and pens. A 1.45am start means runners on the trails all night, and feed stations open before dawn.
When will the 2027 edition take place?
It has not been announced. The sources consulted only document 2026: neither the dates of the three previous editions, nor entry fees, nor the number of participants, nor the origins of the event appear in the documents available.
So we cannot identify a pattern as we can for the Fête du Lac, where two editions and a municipal rule make it possible to look ahead. For the MaXi-Race, a single documented year, at the end of May, is not enough to predict the next one. This page will be updated when it is announced.
What you pay for is race entry; what is free, in practice, is access to the race village and the roadside along the course, though no source puts that in black and white.
On race weekend, Annecy hardly sleeps: night starts, a race village at the Marquisats, finishes spread over two days. A base near the centre saves you driving at 1am. The search for places to stay in Annecy can be filtered by district before you compare prices.
See places to stay in central Annecy →Partner link: booking through this link supports the site at no extra cost to you.Where should you stand to watch the runners go by?
No crowd figures are published, either for spectators or for points along the course. What follows is worked out from the programme, not from a measurement.
The busy moments are Saturday between 1.30am and 10am, with the main starts, and Sunday around 8am for the Demi-tOur. The afternoons, once the starts are over, are quieter at the race village. The organisers publish neither crowded areas, nor the best viewpoints, nor trail closures.
Going round without pedalling or running
Two bus lines run along the lake: line 15 on the west shore and line 20 on the east shore, with a published interval of 25 minutes for line 15 from Monday to Saturday outside summer. No listing gives the line 20 timetable in the documents consulted. Fares, €2.00 on board, are in getting around Annecy.
By water, a classic cruise costs €18 to €25 per adult for a one to two hour loop; boats that stop at the villages give you more than the short panoramic tour. The prices we found are in things to do in Annecy.
By car, no source consulted publishes a driving time for the loop by road, and parking in the villages is documented nowhere. Parking in Annecy is covered in parking in Annecy. For the overall picture, see Lake Annecy in figures.
The most restful way round is the one you watch from the deck: cruises with stops go round the lake calling at the villages. The Annecy activities page brings the options together with their duration and price.
See cruises and activities on the lake →Partner link: booking through this link supports the site at no extra cost to you.Sources
MaXi-Race (tOur du lac race table, February 2026; Quart de tOur, Demi-tOur and 100 km relay booklets, April 2026; two-day solo tOur du lac page), City of Annecy via annecy-ville.fr (MaXi-Race 2026, February 2026), Lake Annecy tourist office (cycle loop, cycle path).
stadion-actu.fr, ski-nordique.net, run-ix.com (2026 programmes and live coverage), Larousse (shoreline length), Sibra and Grand Annecy (lines 15 and 20, 2024 fares), lake boat companies (cruise prices). Research consolidated on 12 September 2026. The 2027 MaXi-Race will be added as soon as it is announced.
Frequently asked questions
How far is it around Lake Annecy?
What is the MaXi-Race in Annecy?
When is the 2027 MaXi-Race?
What time does the MaXi-Race round-the-lake race start?
Can you go round Lake Annecy by bus?
Camille Perrissin
Camille grew up in Sévrier, on the west shore, and swims in the lake from April to November. She has been taking the water temperature herself since 2019 and knows where the bottom suddenly drops away. She writes about the lake without ever turning it into a postcard.
