On March 14, 2026, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany will start its new season in Neuhaus-Schierschnitz. After an exciting championship year in 2025, riders and spectators can once again look forward to spectacular hard enduro action. The MC Isolator has once again prepared and extended the track, meaning the riders can expect a varied and demanding course for the season opener.
Around 150 riders are expected for the opening round, once again underlining the popularity of the series. In almost all classes the starting fields are well filled and promise exciting racing right from the first event.
Compared to last season, however, there are some changes among the top riders. Marc Wulf, who has been one of the fastest riders in the series in recent years, is expected to compete only sporadically in selected rounds during 2026 and will therefore not be actively involved in the championship fight.
There is also still a question mark surrounding defending champion Milan Schmüser. The Beta rider suffered an injury during the SuperEnduro World Championship round in Serbia, making it currently unclear when he will be able to return to full race action.
This means the focus of the title fight initially turns to two well-known names in the series. Henry Strauss, HESG Champion of 2024, is once again among the top favourites for the overall victory. The rider from Lower Saxony has consistently fought for race wins in recent years and now has the experience required to compete for the championship again.
Leon Hentschel is also among the top contenders. The experienced Beta rider is the most successful rider in the history of the HardEnduroSeries Germany and knows exactly what it takes to fight for the championship. With his experience and consistency he will once again play an important role this season.
However, behind these established front runners a new generation of young talents is increasingly pushing forward and looking to close the gap to the top riders this season.
Particularly interesting is the group of Stark Future electric bike riders. Eric Seifert and Arvid Meyer both finished fifth and sixth in the overall standings last year after impressing with strong performances. While Seifert already competed on the Stark Varg in 2025 and surprised many observers with his performance, Arvid Meyer now also switches to the electric bike, which could add further excitement to the competition.
Another rider to watch this season is Matthis Millich. The 2025 Junior Champion now fully moves up into the Pro class and aims to improve on his already strong seventh place in the overall standings.
Behind them, Emil Kessler, Hannes Rätze and Felix Strauss form another trio of young riders who have made steady progress in recent years. All three have the potential to close the gap to the front and regularly fight for top positions.
Additional excitement will come from several returning riders and new entries to the series. It will be particularly interesting to see whether Florian Geisenhofer can return to his former level after several years away from the championship.
Dominik Nieschalk and Gerrit Heistermann could also cause some surprises. Heistermann already turned heads in the Enduro Wintercup, where he suddenly appeared regularly in the top five and demonstrated his strong form.
X-Grip Juniors: Close battles expected in the junior class
The X-Grip Junior class could also be extremely exciting this season. The level of competition among the young riders appears to have increased even further, which should lead to many close races.
One of the main favourites is vice champion Emil Kessler, who already delivered consistently strong performances last year. In his third full season in the HardEnduroSeries Germany, this could finally be the year of his breakthrough.
Felix Strauß & Emil Kessler
However, Felix Strauss should not be underestimated. The young rider is also among the fastest competitors in the junior class and could have an advantage especially on faster sections of the track.
Behind them is a very strong field of young riders competing at a similar performance level. Riders such as Linus Albert, Leon Raimann, Raven Lippold, Max Eppelmann, Lars Stallmeister, Luca Kropitsch and Jonas Albert have already proven their talent and could challenge for top positions at any time.
In addition, several new riders will enter the class whose level is difficult to predict in advance and who could provide further surprises.
Amateur, Senior and Women’s classes: Large fields and exciting battles
With nearly 100 registered riders, the Amateur class once again forms the largest category of the championship. Due to the high level of competition it is almost impossible to name a clear favourite before the season begins. Instead, the battle for the top positions is likely to develop differently at each event.
The Senior class also promises exciting competition. Kai Uebe, the defending champion, returns to defend his title. Among his challengers is Manuel Woessner, who moves up from the Amateur class after several successful seasons.
In addition, Reini Rauch returns to the series after a one-year break. The rider from southern Germany already impressed in 2024 with consistent performances and even achieved a championship podium. Overall, the senior class appears stronger than it has been for many years.
The Women’s class is slightly smaller in numbers this season. Nevertheless, the competition could still be exciting, as defending champion Julia Bittner now faces a new strong rival in Hedi Baum.
Julia Bittner
HESG Kids: The next generation ready to race
The field will once again be complemented by the HESG Kids classes, where the youngest riders gain their first experience in hard enduro. After a somewhat slow start to registrations, a strong field of riders has now been formed.
Many new riders are also entering the series, some of whom already impressed in other championships. Several of them achieved strong results in the RockOil Enduro Wintercup and now want to prove themselves in the HardEnduroSeries Germany as well.
The 85cc class could be particularly exciting. HESG Champion Loris Solbrig will face Paul Wirth, the vice champion of the Enduro Wintercup. This duel promises thrilling racing right from the opening event.
In the 65cc class, Niklas Sonnack could become one of the favourites. Last year’s 50cc champion now moves up to the next category and could immediately fight for top positions.
Niklas Sonnack
Voices on the upcoming season
Series organiser Denis Günther is also looking forward to the new season:
"Even in the ninth season of the series we expect exciting races again. A new generation of riders is ready to take the next step and move to the front of the field. At the same time we could once again see the well-known duel between Henry Strauss and Leon Hentschel, which already captivated many fans in 2024.
It will also be interesting to see how Henry Strauss manages the transition from SuperEnduro back to outdoor hard enduro races. Next Saturday he will first compete in the SuperEnduro Junior World Championship final.
Another important milestone for the HardEnduroSeries Germany will take place this season. At the end of June in Reisersberg we will celebrate the 50th race in the history of the series.”
Season opener in Neuhaus-Schierschnitz
The new season of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany begins on March 14, 2026 in Neuhaus-Schierschnitz. The traditional opening event hosted by MC Isolator once again promises a challenging track, many spectators and a first important indication of the championship battle.
Everything is set for an exciting Hard Enduro season in 2026. Now it remains to be seen which riders used the winter break best and who will collect the first important championship points at the opening round.
Current information about the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany is always available at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on the official social media channels.
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel