The Besi & Friends Foundation is organising the 12 hours of altitude gain on the Hohler Buckel climb for cyclists: any type of bike is permitted - from racing bikes to MTBs, e-bikes, recumbent bikes and bikes suitable for the disabled. The 12-hour Hohler Buckel charity event takes place in Alzenau-Hörstein. Between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., participants can ride as many laps and collect as many metres in altitude as they can and want. Participants are free to take breaks as often and as long as they like. A circuit is approx. 11 km long and has an elevation gain of approx. 300 metres. This year, the route is closed to motorised traffic for the first time. The village is located in Bavaria in the district of Aschaffenburg.
Hohler Buckel: Community takes centre stage
The aim of the event is to collect donations in favour of people affected by autoimmune and neurological diseases and, of course, to have fun together on the bike. To this end, each participant can choose a cent amount to donate when registering, depending on the metres of altitude they have covered. The donation is voluntary. The organiser will determine the donation amount and inform the participant by email after the event.
- 12 h Hollow hump
- Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2026
- Time: from 6 am to 6 pm
- Location: Felsenkeller 6a, 63755 Alzenau (Bavaria)
- Starters: Limited starting places for individual starters, teams, relay teams
- Mode: endurance competition with lap counting for a good cause; no race, no timekeeping, no "award ceremony"
Background Besi & Friends
The Besi & Friends Foundation was founded by Andreas "Besi" Beseler, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992. The foundation stone of the community was laid in 2013, when Besi undertook a 3,800 kilometre bike ride through Canada to give courage and hope. Sponsors paid per kilometre ridden, raising a total of over 26,000 euros, which attracted the attention of other supporters. The community grew rapidly: from the beginning, it was not just people with MS, but also people with rheumatism, ALS, diabetes, paraplegia, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis and other illnesses. Today, over 1,200 people throughout Europe cycle, run or swim in the Besi & Friends jersey.
By 2018, more than 320,000 euros had been donated to the Nathalie Todenhöfer Foundation, which supports people with MS - financed by sponsorship, supporters and Besi & Friends events. As the network grew, the desire arose for a solid, structured basis to manage sponsorship transparently and to strengthen sponsor loyalty. Besi, Christian Schierhorn and Markus Schönherr therefore decided to set up a foundation at the end of 2018.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
