This year's honorees in SDM's awards program, Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism, brought an astounding $1,885,077,600 to their local economies. From mainstream sports with thousands of athletes, to niche competitions and small fundraising events put on by grassroots groups - we see you. And in this issue of our magazine, we honor you.

The headlines were blunt: Influencer Disqualified From New York City Marathon After He Ran With Unauthorized E-Bikes Filming Him. Running Influencer Enrages Participants at New York City Marathon. They were also brutal: Dude, You Were Being Filmed by a Guy on an E-Bike? [Bleep] Off. Race organizers also took heat for not cracking down immediately.

It could a homeowner's dream: Their own backyard sports venue where they can practice their pastime in peace - or help their kids sharpen their skills. But sometimes, those same homeowners come into conflict with neighbors who complain about noise, lighting and worse (illegal gambling rings and running a tournament business, for example). What next?

Despite being wedded to technology (and unwilling to give up connectivity), travelers are following the nostalgia trail. It's showing up in a big way as adults seek out destinations and attractions they themselves loved as kids, with the intention of lighting the flame in their own children. And many sports destinations are already dialed in.

The Aspen Institute's National State of Play 2024 report encouragingly found that kids are returning to the levels of participation that preceded the pandemic. However, some worrisome trends include boys playing fewer sports. Still, more older kids are playing sports, meaning better health habits as adults. Read the full report here.

Sports tourism is nothing if not constantly evolving and one case study of this phenomenon is Round Rock, Texas, where key venues are undergoing upgrades to allow the destination, billed as the Sports Capital of Texas, to keep pace with other cities. Here's an inside look at what's being improved and when athletes can expect to take advantage of them.