Runners from the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Photo from Hopi High School

The boys cross country team from a high school on the Hopi Reservation won its 25th straight title in Arizona on Saturday.

The team from Hopi High has the longest cross country winning streak of any school in the U.S. Tribal members say that's no surprise since running is part of their tradition.

"We've been doing it for thousands of years," Bruce Talawyma, a race announcer, told Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. "It's not just races. It's part of our ceremonies that we do in Hopi. That can be ceremonial dances, ceremonies where we give our offerings to the great spirit. It's our culture."

Some 200 tribal members drove more than 200 miles to attend the Division IV state championship race in Phoenix, Bordow said.

Get the Story:
Scott Bordow: Hopi boys cross country wins 25th straight state title (The Arizona Republic 11/9)