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This Saturday, a one of a kind event will take place at Sarasota BMX. The oldest continuously running track in the country, Sarasota BMX will play host to the 2026 USA BMX Gold Cup Championship Series. The Gold Cup series is a regional championship tour, where predominantly amateur riders from six regions—North Central, North East, North West, South Central, South East and South West—compete in a season-long battle, culminating in the region finals this September. This Saturday’s event at Sarasota BMX kicks off the South East region, which features 15 stops on the tour. The top three finishers of each class in the Gold Cup region final earn the right to sport the prestigious Gold Cup 1-2-3 plates across their handlebars.

The Gold Cup kickoff on Saturday will be free to watch for spectators and will feature riders from across all age groups. Amatuer BMX riders are broken up into three classes, novice, intermediate and expert—there is an “open” class that competes, but not for points. For a rider to move in the class, they must accrue wins and points, solidifying them in the higher echelon of competition. Riders from Sarasota BMX, such as seven-year-old Caspian Reeves, have won the South East Gold Cup.

“He’s worn that little number 1 gold plate on his bike all year,” says Erma Miller, track operator at Sarasota BMX. “They earn those plates, so it’s pretty cool to see them on their bikes.”

Saturday’s event at Sarasota BMX, however, will include more than just racing. “From 8:30am to 10:30am, our Home Routes team is doing a special clinic for kids that want to spend some time on the track and get some tips on how to ride it. Practice starts at 11am and goes through 1pm and then the racing starts at 1:30pm.”

2026 USA BMX Gold Cup Championship Series, February 7, Sarasota BMX, 1500 N Tuttle Ave.

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