Summer officially kicks off on June  21, and the Marion Village 5K road race is always a fun way to get the season off to a great start. The race will take place Saturday, June 23 beginning at 9 a.m. at Tabor Academy. Those who wish to participate can register online at “Runreg.com,” or on Friday evening from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Marion Town House or at Hoyt Hall, Tabor Academy on the morning of the race from 7:30 until just prior to the start of the race. There is always a great local flavor to the Marion 5K with bagels from the Marion General Store, pizza from Santoro’s and plenty of Gatorade and fruit for all.

The second running opportunity is the 15th annual Marion Mile for Kids summer running series. This six week series runs at 6 p.m. on Tuesday nights starting on June 26 at Tabor Academy’s chapel fields on Spring Street. These runs are open to all kids 14-years-old and under. Children who are six and under run a half mile loop on the fields and track while the big kids run the full-mile loop. Registration forms are available online through the Facebook page “MarionMile” or simply by contacting director Chris Adams. Runners must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and should arrive a half- hour early for the first week that they register. This event, sponsored by Wareham Pediatrics, that attracts up to 250 kids each summer.

The third event is the Hump Night Marion Mile Open, an offshoot of the Marion Mile. This event takes place on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. on the same chapel field and track loop. Director Adams also mentioned that he is interested in signing a sponsor for this event.

For anyone interested in  any of the three events, please contact race director Chris Adams via email at cadams@taboracademy.org or by cell at 508-241-6182.

Adams noted that the 5K has been a great fundraiser for the past two decades supporting Marion recreation activities and facilities. This summer, the race plans to announce a major donation to the new Marion playground at Silvershell Beach.