Runners and walkers from around the region converged on Minot Forest School on Saturday for the annual "Readers Become Leaders" 5K event.

For the uninitiated, 5K is about 3 miles -- a typical length for a short road race. But this race, sponsored by the Wareham Middle School ELA (English Language Arts) Department to raise money to purchase "enrichment literature" for the school, was a race with a twist.

Stationed along the course were customed volunteers reading from relevant books. Among the readers were a Cat in the Hat, Charlie Brown, and the Queen from "Alice in Wonderland," who demanded "Off with their heads!" when runners refused to stop for an offered cup of tea.

At the end of the event, runners and walkers were invited to vote for their favorite reader.