With its anniversary weekend in Reisersberg, Bavaria, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany added another memorable chapter to its success story. Last weekend, the 50th race in the history of the series took place at the famous Hexenkessel, while the championship also celebrated its first-ever double-header event with two separate championship rounds.
After initially modest entry numbers, registrations increased significantly during the final days before the event. In the end, more than 100 riders lined up across both race days, creating a fitting celebration for this historic milestone.
However, the biggest challenge was not only the demanding course but also the weather. With temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius, riders, officials and spectators experienced the hottest race weekend in HESG history.
The organizing MCC Reisersberg, together with the HESG organization, prepared extensively for the extreme conditions and implemented several heat protection measures. Water hoses were installed at two locations around the course, allowing riders to cool down during the race. In addition, free drinking water was provided in the paddock and start/finish area throughout the weekend.
Thanks to these measures, the entire event ran almost without incident despite the exceptional temperatures. Apart from one heat-related medical incident, all competitions were completed as scheduled.
Facts – Hardenduro im Hexenkessel Reisersberg | June 27–28, 2026
Weather: Sunny, 35°C
ACE Bikes Prolog Award Winner: Henry Strauss (KTM)
Saturday Winner: Henry Strauss (KTM)
Sunday Winner: Henry Strauss (KTM)
Champion Oil Fastest Lap Saturday: Leon Hentschel (Beta) – 13:39.995
Champion Oil Fastest Lap Sunday: Henry Strauss (KTM) – 1:53.404
From a sporting perspective, the anniversary weekend offered two completely different challenges. While Saturday followed the traditional HESG format featuring the ACE Bikes Prolog Award, group races and the main final, Sunday introduced the series' very first Enduro Sprint, including a timed Extreme Test and classic Enduro time controls.
Saturday's main final demanded everything from the riders. A newly introduced and extremely technical rock garden quickly became one of the key sections of the course, producing spectacular action and countless battles for position.
The anniversary weekend concluded on Saturday evening with the "HESG 50 Races – Evening of Legends." Together with riders, teams, partners and long-time supporters,the series looked back on its first 50 races and premiered a new highlight film featuring the most emotional and spectacular moments in HESG history.
ACE Bikes Prolog Award: Henry Strauss Sets the First Benchmark of the Anniversary Weekend
The anniversary weekend officially got underway at 8:30 a.m. with the ACE Bikes Prolog Award. Under still relatively moderate morning temperatures, the riders tackled the short but technically demanding prologue, which once again determined the starting positions for the group races.
Group Races: Strauss and Hentschel Dominate Their Heats
The first group race got underway at 10:15 a.m., slightly earlier than at previous rounds due to the mandatory 90-minute lunch break scheduled for the Reisersberg event.
The first challenge for the riders was an off-camber hillside section where several competitors became stuck during the opening laps. As the race progressed, however, the line became more established and the overall race flow improved significantly.
At the front of the field, Henry Strauss left no doubt about his intentions. The championship leader controlled the race from start to finish, setting a consistent pace throughout the full distance. He secured a convincing victory ahead of Arvid Meyer, who once again impressed aboard his Stark Varg. Luca Kropitsch completed the top three, earning an excellent starting position for the afternoon final.
By the time the second group race got underway, temperatures had risen even further, adding another physical challenge for the riders. Nevertheless, another high-quality race unfolded.
Leon Hentschel quickly established himself at the front of the field and went on to claim a dominant victory. One of the standout performances of the day came from Max Eppelmann. The PEM Energy HESG Talentpool rider delivered an outstanding ride to finish second ahead of Marc Wulf, who celebrated a successful return to the championship after recovering from injury and comfortably secured his place in the final.
The top 25 riders from each group race qualified for the main final, together with the eligible guest riders finishing within those positions.
One of the biggest surprises came from Loris Solbrig. Riding his 85cc KTM, the young ACE Bikes rider qualified for an AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany final for the very first time, underlining his exceptional talent. He also claimed another victory in the 85cc class, securing the championship title with races still remaining.
In the Women's class, Julia Bittner once again came out on top, finishing ahead of Dorothea Maaz to continue her impressive season.
Final: Henry Strauss Wins the Historic 50th Race of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany
At 4:30 p.m., the gates finally dropped for the main final – the 50th race in the history of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany. Championship rivals Henry Strauss and Leon Hentschel lined up together on the front row, setting the stage for an intense battle despite the extreme summer heat.
Hentschel made the better start and completed the opening lap in the lead. However, the first lap also featured an incident that became one of the main talking points after the race.
It later emerged that one section of the course had apparently not been fully adjusted after the group races, leaving a course tape in the wrong position for the final. As a result, Henry Strauss unintentionally took the shorter line through that section. The MCC Reisersberg race director reacted immediately by stopping Strauss shortly afterwards before allowing him to continue. The time lost ensured that the KTM rider gained no sporting advantage from the incident. Nevertheless, the situation sparked lively discussions after the race—perhaps fittingly, given the scorching temperatures throughout the weekend.
Back on track, Strauss remained completely focused. He took over the lead during the second lap and gradually created a small gap over Hentschel.
In the closing stages, Hentschel launched one final charge and reduced the deficit to around six seconds, but he was unable to mount a decisive attack. After another flawless performance, Henry Strauss crossed the finish line to claim victory in the historic 50th race of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany.
Leon Hentschel secured second place, while Matthis Millich completed the overall podium with another consistent and impressive performance.
Guest rider Leon Volland claimed victory in the X-GRIP Junior class. The talented youngster also announced his intention to compete regularly in the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany during the 2027 season.
Jakob Blazovich celebrated victory in the Amateur class, while Kai Uebe once again came out on top in the Senior category, continuing his excellent campaign.
In the HESG-E category, Peter Fakler secured the victory. Like Arvid Meyer, he benefited from the absence of Eric Seifert and collected valuable championship points in the title fight.
HESG 50 Races – Evening of Legends: A Worthy Celebration of the 50th Race
Following the historic 50th race of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany, the anniversary celebrations continued on Saturday evening with the "HESG 50 Races – Evening of Legends", held under continued midsummer temperatures.
The evening was hosted by series manager Denis Günther and Marcel Teucher, who are already well known as the presenters of the annual championship awards ceremony. Together, they looked back on the development of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany and reflected on many memorable moments from the first 50 races in the history of the series.
In addition to revisiting the past seasons, the program featured several interviews with current and former riders, who shared their personal memories and experiences from their time in the championship.
Another highlight of the evening was the premiere of a brand-new highlight film, showcasing the most emotional and spectacular moments from the first 50 races. The approximately ten-minute video was presented exclusively to the guests of the anniversary event and will be released on the official AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany channels in the coming days.
Successful Premiere: Enduro Sprint Brings a New Dimension to the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany
Following the anniversary celebrations, the second championship round of the weekend took place on Sunday. For the first time in the history of the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany, a classic Enduro Sprint featuring time controls and a timed Extreme Test was held.
Although many riders had initially been skeptical about the new format, the feedback after the event was overwhelmingly positive. The combination of traditional Enduro, time controls and Hard Enduro elements was very well received. The only point raised by several competitors was that the Extreme Test could have been slightly longer—valuable feedback that the organizers intend to consider when further developing the format in the future.
From a sporting perspective, Sunday took place without Leon Hentschel, who did not compete on the second race day. This provided championship leader Henry Strauss with the opportunity to further extend his advantage in the standings—and the X-GRIP rider took full advantage of it.
Strauss delivered a flawless performance throughout the day, setting the fastest time in all six timed Extreme Tests. His dominant display secured not only the overall victory but also his fourth win of the season, further strengthening his championship lead.
Behind the dominant winner, an exciting battle developed for the remaining podium positions. Luca Kropitsch produced one of his strongest performances of the season. The Austrian rider improved throughout the day, claiming victory in the X-GRIP Junior class while also finishing an outstanding second overall in the Championship classification.
Just under two seconds behind him, Matthis Millich completed the overall podium. The BETA Hardenduro Germany rider narrowly missed second place after another impressive performance.
Guest rider Markus Schinkinger claimed victory in the Amateur class, while Julia Bittner once again won the Women's category. Kai Uebe added another victory in the Senior class and underlined his excellent form by finishing 11th overall in the Championship classification.
Drama unfolded in the HESG-E category. Peter Fakler was on course for victory before suffering a technical problem during one of the Extreme Tests, costing him more than ten minutes and ending his hopes of taking the win.
This opened the door for Arvid Meyer, who claimed victory in the electric class and collected valuable championship points.
Denis Günther (AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany Series Management)
"First of all, we would like to sincerely thank all the volunteers from MCC Reisersberg as well as our entire HESG organization team. Despite the extreme temperatures, everyone did an outstanding job and ensured that we were able to deliver a fantastic anniversary weekend.
For all of us, it was an incredible weekend. Once again, it showed how well our organization works together, even under exceptional conditions.
We would also like to thank all the riders who travelled to Reisersberg despite the heat. It was great to see how responsibly everyone handled the situation. Whenever someone felt physically exhausted, they took a short break instead of taking unnecessary risks. This responsible approach certainly helped ensure that, despite the record temperatures, the entire weekend ran almost without any problems.
We are already looking forward to the next rounds of the season and to carrying the momentum from this special anniversary weekend into Meltewitz."
Summer Break Until Meltewitz
Following the successful anniversary weekend in Reisersberg, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany now heads into its well-deserved summer break.
The championship will resume on September 13, 2026, with the next round in Meltewitz. Until then, riders, teams and volunteers can reflect on an intense first half of the season and enjoy the summer before the championship enters its decisive phase in the autumn.
With the historic 50th race, the successful debut of the Enduro Sprint, and an unforgettable anniversary weekend at the Hexenkessel Reisersberg, the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany has written another important chapter in its history.
Attention now turns to Meltewitz, where the battle for the championship titles in all classes will continue.
Current information about the AUNER HardEnduroSeries Germany is always available at:www.hardenduro-germany.de and on the official social media channels of the series.
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel