Yanaa’s Guide to the Best Local Run, Cycle & Swim Spots
Around here, sweat is the social currency.
Here’s where to start if you want to move like a local:
- Discover Annecy’s friendliest run, cycle, and triathlon clubs - rain or shine.
- Find where locals swim, stretch, and fly.
- Meet the local makers shaping movement culture in the Alps.
- Pin our map – and go explore.
Annecy often gets called the Venice of the Alps - but that’s just how tourists see it. To locals, Annecy is the endurance sport capital of France. What Boulder is to the USA, Canmore is to Canada, Innsbruck is to Austria, or Aviemore is to Scotland - Annecy is to France.
We’re proud of our Annecy roots, so lately we’ve been out visiting local clubs - running, cycling, swimming, and sharing a little Yanaa along the way. There’s no better way to get to know this place than to move through it.
So we laced up, clipped in, and joined in. Here’s what we found.
And yes, we’ve mapped it all — because what’s an insider guide without a little local navigation?
🏃 RUN – Find your crew
If you want to see what community looks like in Annecy, go for a run in the rain.
Chris joined a couple of the local clubs last week - it was monsoon-level downpour, the kind of rain where you might as well have just jumped in the lake. But somehow, that made it better. A bunch of soaked strangers, laughing, slipping, sprinting - instant solidarity.
There are loads of clubs, all open and easy to join for a one-off session:
- Run’elles – Women-only coached sessions every Monday at 19:00. Super-friendly atmosphere, brilliant energy.
- Trail Run Lab Annecy – Led by coach Clément, Wednesday runs at 18:45. Great mix of road and trail, and plenty of chat between intervals.
- Cours Toujours: Created by @outsidewithana a running group “for nice humans.” Exactly what it sounds like.
- Puls Community – The creative crowd’s running club, started by the local agency Puls (who even showcased Yanaa recently!).
- Or if you’d rather go solo, we love Le Semnoz - wide open trails, fewer crowds, and views that make uphill worth it.
© Cours Toujours
🚴 BIKE – Join the peloton
Cycling is huge here - and joining a club ride is one of the best ways to see the landscape (and test your legs). There are six Tour de France cols within riding distance of Annecy, so it’s fair to say the climbs come with pedigree.
- Onze 42: Yanaa’s very first stockist, with a friendly weekly ride on Wednesday nights. Great people, great views (except for last week - total whiteout).
- Matchy Cycling Clubhouse: They make cycling apparel, but have a great clubhouse and cycling club too - which meets Wednesday lunchtimes and at the weekend). Expect strong coffee, good routes, and a relaxed post-ride atmosphere.
- Le Bon Wagon: Part café, part bike shop, part community hub. Pop in for a tune-up, stay for a flat white, and maybe sign up for one of their local rides.
© mermillod.visual | onze42
🏊 SWIM – Get in the water
You can’t live here and not swim. Even in winter, there are people at the lake every morning, bobbing, chatting… shivering.
- Plage d’Albigny – The year-round gathering point. Morning swims, winter dips, impromptu coffee chats. If you stay long enough, you’ll start recognising everyone.
- Plage de l’Impérial: – Recently fitted with lockers, so you can stash your stuff safely before heading into the water. Early mornings are magic - glassy water, quiet air, and that smug “Ask me what I did before work” feeling.
© Anouck Grau
🧘 STRETCH - Or squat
Our friend (and Yanaa ambassador) Manon runs Lys Sport Studio, a bright and happy space for yoga, pilates, and RPM. We actually did a yoga session with Manon the morning we launched Yanaa - outdoors in the park, sunshine, grass underfoot, and that perfect mix of calm and energy. In summer, she often teaches al fresco, which feels pretty Annecy.
© Emma Deshayes | Manon Maheo
🏊 TRIATHLON – Swim, bike, run, repeat
With 28 square kilometers of lake, endless trails, and stunning cycling - Annecy is a special place to do triathlons.
If you want to train in great company, there are two fantastic clubs to choose from:
- Les Hydros – Organisers of the Annecy Triathlon and possibly the nicest bunch of triathletes you’ll ever meet.
- Les Alligators – Another welcoming club that’s all about community and shared effort – no performance pressure, just passion.
If you're feeling really ambitious check out the Alpsman…
© Les Hydros
🏔️ CLIMB, SKI & SOAR
Annecy is nestled between three mountain massifs, the Bornes, the Bauges, and the Aravis. "Flat" isn't a word that's used a lot around here - here are two of our favourite clubs for getting high:
- Club Alpin Français – The classic Alpine club, offering training, excursions, and expeditions for climbers and skiers of all abilities.
- Les Grandes Espaces: – Where Chris learned to paraglide. They’ve been teaching since 1985, led by Alain Anthony, a former French national team pilot.
© Jeremie Marache | Les Grands Espaces
⚒️ MADE IN MOTION
Since Georges Salomon (yes, the founder of that outdoor brand you’ve probably heard of) crafted his first ski-edges from saw-blades in his Annecy workshop in 1947, making has been part of Annecy’s DNA, and it continues today.
Here are a couple of our favourite makers:
- Marcel Livet - Makers of stunning wooden skis, built to last and to be repaired, not replaced. Each pair is a work of art, shaped by hand right here in Annecy.
- Bikle - Local innovators creating electric bikes designed for both mountain roads and daily rides – proof that performance and practicality can share the same frame.
© Igor Meijer | Marcel Livet Ski
What’s Next?
Annecy sure makes it easy to move - but it’s the people that make you want to keep showing up. From the soggy runners to the sunrise swimmers, every club we’ve joined so far has reminded us that sport here isn’t about competition - it’s about connection.
And if you missed part one of our Alternative Annecy series, don’t forget to check out "Eat Like a Local: Yanaa’s Gastronomic Guide to Annecy" – because around here, good food and good movement always go hand in hand.
P.S. Want all these reccos in one place? Here’s our map of Annecy gems.
