Photos: 48th annual Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Race Series begins

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Youngsters copy Dr. Wes Moore as he leads warm ups with Dr. Keiko Gill of Natural Health Center at the Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Race Series on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at Kincaid Park. Tuesday's races mark the 48th year of the event.

The eight-race Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Race Series kicked off Tuesday night at Kincaid Park.

With a family emphasis, the series lures hundreds of runners on autumn evenings in September, October and November.

Last year's eight races drew a combined 4,744 finishers, with more than half of them -- 52 percent -- children.

The kids compete in the Munchkin League races, which typically are no longer than 3 kilometers. For adults, there's the Farm League (no more than 10 kilometers) and the Lightning League (around 12 kilometers).

"It's kind of a family tradition," Cathy Janigo of the municipal Parks and Recreation Department said Tuesday as she prepared for the opener of the 48th edition of the race series. "Lots of families have been doing it for years. Some runners, they've been doing it for decades and now their grandkids are too.

"Some people just want to come out and talk the whole way. So if you're just coming out and want to get some fresh air, fine."

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