If you have ever stood in the middle of a gravel race with a camera in your hand, you have seen it happen. A rider comes through a section of road that feels like the middle of nowhere. You grab a shot, post it later that night, and suddenly thousands of people who have never even heard of that town are paying attention.

That is what happened in Douglas during BorderLands Gravel.

Most people see a gravel race as a single day on the calendar.

Riders show up, roll out, race their course, and head home. But if you have ever organized a race or worked in outdoor recreation, you know there is more going on beneath the surface.

The real learning begins after the race, when the surveys start drifting back in. This is where the story reveals itself.

On a cool November morning in Douglas, Arizona, I watched something simple and beautiful happen. City staff showed up early and stuck around. Business owners propped open their doors before sunrise. Local ranchers were active not only on race day, but also in planning leading up to the event. Artists opened their venue for the festivities. People were excited, curious, and proud that a gravel race had landed in their town.

Even leaders from Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, were part of this race. That moment hit me. A shared border, shared history, and now a shared event.

It was clear from the start that this race mattered to Douglas.

In the foothills of the Rockies, a small town once known for its sawmills is humming again, not from chainsaws but from trail crews, mountain bikers, and visiting families grabbing coffee before heading out to ride. Further away, former coal towns in West Virginia are experiencing a similar revival, their new “black gold” being the dirt under mountain bike tires.

Across the U.S., trails are emerging as one of the most reliable economic development tools for small, rural communities. They bring visitors, create jobs, and support local businesses in ways that reach far beyond tourism. When built and managed well, trails become infrastructure that fuels entrepreneurship, attracts new residents, and diversifies economies once dependent on extraction industries.

On a cool fall morning in southern Oregon, the parking lot at the base of Dollar Mountain was alive with that distinct energy that only comes when a long-awaited project finally opens to the public. Trucks and vans loaded with bikes lined the parking lot and road. Riders clipped on helmets, swapped greetings and stories, and set off to ride and explore.

You could feel it before the first tire even hit dirt. This wasn’t just another ribbon-cutting grand opening. Instead, it was the start of something bigger.

I’m back in Portland this week after a whirlwind trip to Arizona, which included speaking at the Spirit World fundraiser for the Arizona Trail. What is funny is that even though I spent a good amount of time writing and prepping for this speech leading up to the event, when it was time actually to speak, I pivoted.

I spend every day in the classroom, Monday through Friday, teaching undergrad students. Over the years, I’ve developed my own style for how I teach. Giving a one-way speech as a monologue isn’t necessarily my jam, so when it came time to speak, I set aside my notes and tried to make it interactive and a two-way conversation about “gravel as the gateway to becoming a trail town.”

While I have repeatedly touched on this topic, I wanted to revisit it and share the contents of my speech, even though I didn’t touch on everything that night in Patagonia. If I were to give a “proper” speech, this is what I would’ve shared ...

You do not need a big budget or a marketing agency to start using influencers effectively. You already have what you need: authentic stories, local pride, and people who love your community. The key is learning how to turn those assets into lasting partnerships that help your town grow.

Throughout this series, I have explored what influencers are, why trust and authenticity matter most, and how influencers shape travel decisions. In this final article, I am turning our attention to something more practical: how rural communities can build influencer partnerships that last. You ready?

On Thursday, October 23rd, I will be here not as a racer but as one of the featured speakers for the Spirit World Fundraiser for the Arizona Trail, an evening that blends storytelling, community, and purpose. The dinner, hosted at the Patagonia Lumber Company, raises funds for the Arizona Trail Association’s ongoing work maintaining and expanding one of the most iconic long-distance trails in the country.

By now, we have looked at who influencers are and why trust and authenticity matter most. But how does influencer marketing actually work? What makes someone decide to visit a place after watching or reading about it online?

The answer lies in psychology as much as marketing.

If you are exploring influencer marketing for your town or region, it is easy to assume success comes from follower counts or fancy production value. It does not. The real currency of influence is trust.

In a world flooded with content, people have learned to tune out anything that feels too polished or self-promotional. What they do not tune out is someone they believe.