The AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany is currently in the middle of its summer break. Since the extraordinary anniversary weekend in Reisersberg at the end of June, the engines have fallen silent within the series. Racing will resume on September 13 in Meltewitz, when the decisive phase of the 2026 season begins. It is therefore the perfect time to look back on an eventful season so far.
The season opener in Neuhaus-Schierschnitz already showed just how closely matched the battle at the top would be in 2026. Difficult and partly wet conditions demanded everything from the riders. Leon Hentschel came out on top in the final to claim the first victory of the season, while Henry Strauss already showed that he would be a serious contender in the championship fight.
Only two weeks later, the next mud battle followed in Reetz. This time, Strauss turned the tables and claimed his first victory of the season. It quickly became clear which duel would define the first half of the year: Henry Strauss versus Leon Hentschel.
After a break of around two months, the HESG entered new territory in Kronach at the end of May. It was the series' first visit to Franconia and marked a successful revival of major Enduro racing in the region after many years. In summery and, for the first time this season, dry conditions, AC Kronach presented a varied new course. Strauss once again took victory ahead of Hentschel and established himself as the sole championship leader. With more than 150 participants, Kronach also set a new season record for entries.
The highlight of the season so far followed at the end of June at the Hexenkessel Reisersberg. There, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany not only celebrated the 50th race in its history, but also held its first complete double-header weekend featuring two different race formats.
With temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius, the anniversary event also became the hottest weekend in HESG history. On Saturday, Strauss prevailed after a close battle with Hentschel and entered the record books as the winner of the historic 50th race. The day was rounded off by the "HESG 50 Races – Evening of Legends", where riders, teams and long-time companions of the series came together to look back on the first 50 races.
Sunday brought another premiere with the first-ever Enduro Sprint. The new format, featuring time controls and a timed Extreme Test, received positive feedback from the riders after some initial scepticism. Henry Strauss once again dominated the day, winning all six special tests and celebrating his fourth victory of the season.
After the first five championship rounds, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany can therefore look back on an extremely varied season so far: rain and mud at the opening rounds, a successful premiere in Kronach, record-breaking heat in Reisersberg, the historic 50th race and several new race formats.
Riders, teams and organizers have now had several weeks to recharge their batteries. But the summer break is slowly coming to an end – and with Meltewitz on September 13 and the season finale in Schwepnitz on September 26, two decisive races still remain.
Looking Ahead to Meltewitz and Schwepnitz: The Decisions Are Getting Closer
Following the long summer break, the riders face a compact and demanding final stretch of the season in September. Within just three weeks, the final two rounds of the 2026 season will take place, with Meltewitz on September 13 followed by the grand finale in Schwepnitz on September 26.
In Meltewitz, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany will once again use the race format that has already proven successful at the venue. The day begins with the ACE Bikes Prolog Award against the clock, followed by the main race lasting up to three hours. The lap includes a checkpoint, and the riders must complete a fixed number of laps, adding an additional tactical element to the race.
The first championship decisions could already be made there. Henry Strauss heads to Meltewitz with the opportunity to secure the overall championship title ahead of the final round. The first title decisions in the individual classes could also be made before the season finale.
However, achieving that will be anything but easy. Meltewitz traditionally ranks among the most difficult races on the HESG calendar. The terrain features numerous natural obstacles and technical sections which, over the long race distance, demand not only riding skill but also physical endurance and smart race management.
Anyone expecting things to become easier at the season finale two weeks later may also be in for a surprise. The Quadpoint Schwepnitz has increasingly developed into a true Hard Enduro challenge over the past two years. In particular, the now well-known long rock garden caught many riders by surprise during the previous editions and has developed into one of the most demanding key sections of the course.
The final part of the season therefore offers two very different challenges: the long and physically demanding race in Meltewitz, followed by the increasingly difficult season finale in Schwepnitz. With several championship titles still undecided, September promises plenty of excitement.
Entries Open for Meltewitz – DG RaceManager Makes Its Debut
Before the action resumes on track, another important date is already approaching. Online entries for Meltewitz open tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12, at 12:00 noon. Riders will then be able to secure their starting place for the penultimate round of the season.
At the same time, a new chapter begins for the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany away from the race track. Meltewitz will mark the first use of the new DG RaceManager entry system developed by DG Design. The aim of the project is to make the registration process as simple and quick as possible for riders while further automating the organizational processes behind the scenes.
For riders already registered for the championship, entering an event will become significantly easier. After entering their name, date of birth and the email address used for their championship registration, the system recognizes the rider and automatically fills in the information already stored. This means personal details no longer have to be entered in full for every race.
The entry lists will also be directly linked to the DG RaceManager. Once an entry has been successfully submitted, the relevant data is transferred immediately, allowing the published entry lists to update automatically.
The new online entry system is only one part of the project. The DG RaceManager has been developed as a complete series management platform and already handles results, championship standings and individual rider statistics. By clicking on a rider's name in the championship standings, additional statistics about their season so far can be viewed.
Further functions will be added in the future, with processes on race day also becoming more closely integrated into the system. This includes, among other things, faster and clearer creation of group allocations and starting orders based on the respective race results.
Meltewitz will therefore not only mark the beginning of the decisive sporting phase of the season, but also the first practical use of the new entry system. The experience gained there will be used to continuously develop the DG RaceManager, with the aim of making the platform available to other racing series and event organizers in the future.
Current information about the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany is always available on the official HESG website and through the series' social media channels.
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel