Running long distances was a much needed and useful skill to have in the past. Tribes had runners who would carry messages hundreds of miles. Tribes also incorporated running in ceremony and for spiritual purposes. Today, some of those same running traditions are carried on by Native athletes who run for spiritual and health reasons as well as competition. Some even take it to the extreme as marathon and ultra-marathon runners. We’ll explore what it takes to run 26 miles or more and how running the distance connects Native people to their culture.