More than 80 kids from across the South Coast turned out Tuesday evening for the first event of the 15th annual Marion Mile running series.

The series runs for six weeks every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Tabor Academy's Chapel Field. Kids aged 14 and under may participate.

Marion Mile Director Chris Adams started the series in 2003 with his two children and four of their friends. Since then, it has taken off. More than 200 kids typically participate throughout the summer.

The Friends of Marion Recreation organize the events, and this year’s series is sponsored by Wareham Pediatrics, Adams said.

Kids who are age seven and older run a full mile each week around a track marked with orange cones. The younger group runs a half-mile.

For parents such as C.J. and Michaela Hedberg of Fairhaven, the Marion Mile is great way to keep their kids Chloe, age five, and Grayson, three, active.

“We were trying to find something fun for them to do in the summer,” Michaela Hedberg said. “We did it last year and they had a lot of fun, plus it keeps them active.”

Registration forms for the series are available online by going to the Facebook page “MarionMile.” The Facebook page is also used for scheduling updates and other information, Adams said.