When registration for our sports benefits opens, it usually doesn’t take long: colleagues ask who’s in, train together after work, and suddenly find themselves deep in the Black Forest, setting a new personal best, or making a caterpillar costume.
The options range from running, cycling, and table tennis groups to yoga classes and Nordic walking, as well as regional sports events. Haufe Group covers registration fees, travel, jerseys, accommodations, or food and drinks on site. These formats are not just individual offerings for employees. They also deliberately create space for encounters that might not otherwise happen. People from different teams, brands, and locations meet, give their all, and cheer each other on—and have more in common than just their workplace the next time they meet on campus.
We asked five colleagues what they are proud of, why they keep taking part, and what happens when people do more than just work together—they sweat together, too.
Recognized the jersey, solved the problem
Johannes Reize works on the DevOps team at Haufe Group IT, regularly takes part in the B2Run, plays in the beach volleyball tournament, and completed the Freiburg Half Marathon for the first time in 2026. Mountain biking remains his favorite sport: He has taken part in the Ultra Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten from the start and completed the 75-kilometer marathon course in 4 hours and 50 minutes in 2026—one hour faster than expected.
“I recognized someone from Haufe Group by their jersey in the parking lot, and three colleagues were standing next to me at the start, too. You automatically ride together for a while and start talking. Once, I met an employee I didn’t know before. His team was looking for suitable software for a project. I had the right solution and was able to help him right away.
I keep noticing that almost everyone who takes part in events like this is open to talking, and I really appreciate that. That’s also one reason why I started a training group for Haufe Group employees together with a colleague who, like me, is a mountain bike trainer alongside his regular job. In the weeks before the Ultra Bike, we offer group rides and train endurance and technique. Even if only a few people join us sometimes, something always comes from it, and the atmosphere is simply great. Doing sports together creates a different kind of connection.”
Looking for quiet
Fabian Hammes is a Senior Data & Analytics Scientist at our brand Haufe and takes part in the three classics every year: the B2Run, Ultra Bike, and Freiburg Marathon. In 2026, he holds the Haufe Group best time in all three events—16:36 minutes at the B2Run, 1:15:43 in the half marathon, and 3:02 hours over the 75-kilometer Ultra Bike course.
“This year, I’m proud of the half marathon. It’s my new personal best. Before that, I was at 1:18:50 and had firmly set myself the goal of breaking 1:17. That it turned out to be 1:15:43 surprised even me. I trained for it, but not obsessively. Some mornings I got up and felt like it, and sometimes I didn’t. I did interval training regularly throughout the winter with our colleague Matthias Haller, who completed the half marathon in 1:19. Otherwise, I tend to be out on my own and look for quiet.
I do sports to stay fit, physically and mentally. And for my own ego. I have a competitive sports background and played badminton on the national team for five years. That stays with you. Even today, I can draw an incredible amount from it for my working life—for example, resilience.“
From caterpillar to butterfly
Gregory Rech, Luisa Licht und Cindy Koller all work for our brand Haufe. They met through the youth and trainee representative body while completing their trainee and volunteer programs, and have run the B2Run together ever since. But simply running was not enough for them.
“We wanted to run the B2Run together, but without pressure—just relaxed and for fun. Last year, we were joking around about what else we could do besides running. When Cindy started sending us reels of running caterpillars, the decision was made. We marched to the hardware store, made costumes, braided each other’s hair, and linked ourselves together as a caterpillar. Just before the start, at the Haufe Group tent, we were already asking ourselves what we were actually doing. But as soon as it started, it was just huge fun. And the reactions at the tent and along the course are great every time.
This year, the logical metamorphosis followed: The caterpillar became a butterfly. One spectator even recognized us again! Next year, we want to take it up another notch. Maybe one of our colleagues has an idea?”
Kilometers, elevation gain, team spirit: Our sports benefits in numbers
On the course
In 2026, a total of 291 colleagues took part in the nationwide B2Run corporate race in Freiburg, Hamburg, Munich, and Hanover. As a local sponsor, Haufe Group had its own tent in Freiburg, where 120 pretzels and 363 liters of drinks were available for runners. At the Freiburg Marathon, 110 employees competed in different categories. The fastest marathon time was 3:43:08, and the best time over five kilometers at the B2Run was 16:36 minutes. Add up the distances covered by all these employees, and the total comes to more than 3,000 kilometers—almost four times the distance from Freiburg to Berlin. Another eleven colleagues at the Berlin location are registered for the B2Run and will take part on September 16.
Up high
At the Ultra Bike and Ultra Gravel events, 43 participants covered a combined 3,349 kilometers and 76,972 meters of elevation gain—almost nine times the height of Mount Everest. The Haufe Group best time on the Ultra course (118 kilometers) was 6:02:07, on the Marathon course (75 kilometers) 3:02:33, on the Speed Track (54 kilometers) 3:11:33, and on the Short Track (40 kilometers) 1:52:51.
Moving together
There were 79 registrations for the ski trip to Adelboden, Switzerland, with 204 kilometers of slopes and 67 gondolas and lifts. On the hiking day, 37 colleagues covered the 20-kilometer mountain route through the Kaiserstuhl region. Last year, twelve soccer teams and 23 two-person volleyball teams competed in the company-wide soccer and volleyball tournament.
For a good cause
During Stadtradeln, the nationwide campaign for better cycling infrastructure and climate action, 143 colleagues covered 36,149 kilometers. At the 24-Hour Run for Children’s Rights, the Haufe Group team completed 697 laps at Freiburg’s Seepark Stadium last year, ran 279 kilometers, and finished in tenth place. The run raises funds for local children’s and youth projects and will take place this year on October 3 and 4.
A tradition that has grown along with us
The ski trip has taken participants to Adelboden, Switzerland, in recent years, either as a day trip from the Freiburg Campus or as a weekend in a chalet. Torsten Kukuk, Senior Lead Work & AI at Lexware, has worked at Haufe Group for 15 years, remembers many great shared moments on the slopes, and will be part of the self-organized planning team in 2027.
“Whenever the ski trip is offered, I’m in. A self-catering lodge needs a few helping hands with cooking and grocery shopping, and I always pitch in. I enjoy making a weekend like that happen together. But I mainly go along to meet new people. This year, I spent one day on the slopes with Lexware colleagues. The next day, we deliberately split into different groups.
The atmosphere is great, and people talk about all kinds of things, including work, of course. Especially when it comes to AI, which is an intense focus for us across Haufe Group, I find it exciting to hear from colleagues how differently Haufe, Haufe Akademie, and Lexware use AI in their products and as a tool. I always learn something from these conversations. The ski trip originally came from an initiative by colleagues. I find it particularly special that, over the years, it grew into a centrally organized tradition across Haufe Group, even though we now have more than twice as many employees.
To me, the ski trip and many of our other sports benefits reflect what Haufe Group stands for: experiencing something together, making something happen, and staying curious about what others are doing.”
Proud to have taken part
Miriam Wenig is an HR Marketing Specialist and has been with Haufe Group for two years. Until recently, she was not a runner. Seven kilometers at most—that was all she could manage. Still, she registered for the Freiburg Half Marathon in April.
“I saw the news on the intranet and thought, ‘Run a half marathon once before you turn 30—if not now, when?’ I actually prefer cycling. Without Haufe Group’s offering, I probably never would have paid to run 21 kilometers in one go. My goal was simply to make it to the finish line, preferably alive. Registering as a team of three was exactly the push I needed. We motivated each other, ran together after work now and then, and talked about it during lunch. During the race itself, everyone had their own pace. I was nervous on the morning of the event, but I made it through well.
It only got really tough from kilometer 18 onward. I had never run more than 17 kilometers in training, so that was probably aiming a little high. But I made it to the finish line without stopping. The half marathon did not launch a running career, but I’m really proud that I took part!”