Visit Sarasota County Partners with BMX Pro Athlete Ahead of World Cup

SARASOTA, Fla. – As Sarasota County plans to host the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in 2027, the region’s tourism bureau has tapped local talent with global name recognition as an ambassador of its sports marketing efforts. Visit Sarasota County has entered into a content partnership with Rayne Lankford, a professional BMX athlete and area resident, to strengthen Sarasota County’s reputation as a premier destination for BMX athletes to train, compete, and pursue high-performance development.  

As part of the services agreement, Visit Sarasota County will capture photos and videos of Lankford around the destination and put this content to work across print, digital, and social media to reach potential visitors heading into 2027. Lankford’s collaboration will focus equally on the area’s lifestyle and sporting venues to appeal to leisure spectators and athletes looking for their next training ground.   

The promotional push aligns with Lankford’s anticipated appearances in the 2026 and 2027 UCI BMX Racing World Cup. Both competitions will culminate in Sarasota County at Sarasota BMX, the world’s oldest continuously operating BMX track, dating back to 1974. The events serve as key qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.  

“Competing on the global stage starts with dedicated training at home, and we couldn’t be prouder to promote Rayne as he returns to the track as a contender for the World Cup and as an ambassador for our destination,” said Erin Duggan, President and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. “Through this partnership, we’re supporting Rayne’s efforts to raise awareness of Sarasota County as a premier destination for BMX athletes to train and compete, thanks in large part to the world-class BMX facility our community has invested significant resources in creating. When our community contributes to such high-caliber sports facilities like this, it’s important we do our part to promote them, attract athletes and events, and maximize the return on that investment.”  

Sports tourism continues to be a key focus of Visit Sarasota County’s marketing efforts, attracting athletes, families, and fans who spend throughout the destination. From October 2024 through September 2025, more than 75 events supported by the tourism bureau welcomed nearly 300,000 attendees, secured 44,000 hotel room nights, and generated $98.6 million in economic impact across Sarasota County. 

To learn more about Visit Sarasota County’s sports tourism efforts, visit https://sports.visitsarasota.com/. 

About Visit Sarasota County 

Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 450 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.  

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