adidas MaXi-Race 2027: Pre-registration opens Thursday, October 1, 2026

The adidas MaXi-Race 2027 will take place in Annecy from May 28 to 30. Pre-registration opens October 1 and closes October 7. It is a date trail runners will not want to miss, with the event drawing passionate competitors eager to admire the majestic Lake Annecy from the surrounding peaks. Here is how the process works, along with a look at the courses.

The adidas MaXi-Race du Lac d’Annecy will take place in Annecy from May 28 to 30, 2027. As in 2025, registration will be handled in two stages:

A first phase of pre-registration will take place on www.maxi-race.org, from 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7.
A second phase will begin on October 8. Runners selected for the event will be notified by email that they have secured a race bib for the event they chose.

Runners who are not selected will receive an email inviting them to join the waiting list as a priority from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13. This priority period runs until 11 a.m. on Friday, October 16. After that, anyone wishing to join the list may do so via the website.

Six race formats to make the most of a major fixture on the calendar

As in 2026, the tOur du lac, the event’s flagship race, takes runners around the lake via the surrounding heights in a clockwise direction. The first climb will therefore be the Massif du Veyrier. The course will pass Pointe de Talamarche at sunrise and head through the heart of the village of Bellecombe-en-Bauges before the finish between the summit of Semnoz and the shores of Lake Annecy. The race will start on Saturday, May 29, for a loop of 100 to 103 km, with 5,300 to 5,500 m of elevation gain. This one-day format is reserved for experienced trail runners.

The tOur du lac is also available as a two-day format. The course will not be exactly the same as the one-day tOur du lac, apart from the first day. On day two, competitors will follow the Demi tOur du lac course, resulting in a longer overall distance than the one-day tOur du lac (104 to 108 km with 6,100 to 6,400 m of elevation gain).

The tOur du lac relay will no longer be run by teams of four, but by two or three runners, and will become the Relais Solidaires. The adidas MaXi-Race is committed to bringing people together and supporting local causes. Since the event was created, €600,000 has been donated to local nonprofit organizations involved in its organization. Keen to continue its work with the local community and associations, the organizing team has chosen to reshape the relay format this year as the “Relais Solidaires.” In practical terms, all relay entry fees, excluding options and service-provider fees, will be donated to projects carried out in the region.

This new format also brings changes to how the race unfolds. From now on, relays will be run by teams of two or three runners, rather than four. Relay handovers will take place only at the aid stations in Doussard and Semnoz, creating race segments of approximately 46 km, 39 km and 15 km.

The Demi tOur du lac will take place on Sunday, May 30, covering 55 to 58 km, with 3,200 to 3,500 m of elevation gain. Starting in Doussard, the course will take runners up to 1,650 m above sea level for the Semnoz summit, where the always spectacular 360-degree panorama awaits.

The Marathon eXperience on Sunday, May 30, is designed for trail runners looking to build experience in the mountains. It is an accessible format, covering 38 to 42 km with 1,600 to 1,800 m of elevation gain, with both the start and finish in Annecy.

The quart de tour (Saturday, May 29) will feature two separate starts: one for women and one for men. Starting at Semnoz and finishing in Annecy, it will be a “Négatif Trail” of around 20 kilometers, with approximately 400 m of elevation gain and 1,450 m of elevation loss