At the St. Cloud BMX track on Peghorn Way, the starting gate is open for everyone—from 2-year-olds wobbling on balance bikes to riders in their 70s chasing one more lap with their kids and grandkids.
That welcoming, all-ages atmosphere is exactly what keeps families coming back to St. Cloud BMX, a volunteer-run nonprofit celebrating 30 years this year.
“Moms, dads and their children ride and race together. It’s a really communal environment,” said track operator Bryan Carpenter, who with his wife Corrine has volunteered with the club for 15 years.
That sense of community starts with accessibility. The track offers free local memberships, and for $7, riders can rent a bike, helmet, and safety gear, making it easy for families who may be trying the sport for the first time.
From there, the possibilities widen. Some participants stick to casual riding while others move through the sport’s competitive ranks and travel to races across the state and beyond.
In fact, local riders Jameson Hilbush, 8; Elijah Taylor, 9; Norah Gonzalez, 9; and Martin Giraldo,13, will ride on the world stage, having qualified for the 2026 UCI World BMX Championship in Brisbane, Australia in July. Three of the four are currently fundraising to make the trip.
The track stays busy six to seven days a week with races, coached practices, and open riding sessions. Every other year, St. Cloud hosts Florida’s largest BMX event: the State Championship. Recognized as the biggest race of its kind at the state level in the country, Carpenter said it draws about 2,000 participants and spectators. The 2026 championship is set for mid-May in St. Cloud.
For many families, the camaraderie is as valuable as the racing.
“I remember the first day we went there, and my son was on a green Walmart bike, so his nickname was Green Machine,” Carpenter said. “Some older kids gave him a nickname, and that was the biggest thing to him. On the side, they’re throwing the football and kicking the soccer ball and interacting. It’s not just about what’s on the track; it’s really fellowship. It’s the closest thing to church that I’ve been a part of in sports.”
As the club celebrates three decades in St. Cloud, its future at the site is not entirely certain. The organization is currently working through lease negotiations with the city, a process that could shape what the next chapter looks like.
At a recent City Council workshop, Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Holtkamp explained that the club’s user agreement—which has had them paying no rent to the city for 30 years—has come under scrutiny as part of a city-wide evaluation of all facility use agreements.
The new draft agreement presented by Holtkamp would require $1,500 monthly rent, shift all utilities, maintenance, repairs, and operational costs to the organization, and update insurance standards.
However, Carpenter pointed out that his group has already been maintaining the track and structures at a cost of roughly $36,000 annually in materials, and that the BMX events in St. Cloud over the last five years have brought in over $5 million to the county.
Mayor Chris Robertson said the city just wants to break even.
“We’re the bad guys that have to figure out how to pay the bills,” Robertson said. “So we’re talking $20,000 a year to maintain it, and that’s the zeroout number.”
