THE STORY

GOD ON THE STARTING LINE

The Triumph of a Catholic School Running Team and Its Jewish Coach

By Marc Bloom

This compelling, heartfelt story about Marc's experience coaching a high school cross-country team is being talked about throughout the running and track community. And even beyond, since, as the many excellent reviews state, you don't have to be involved in running to enjoy this story and feel renewed by its messages of hope, faith, commitment and joy.

Marc coached the St. Rose boys team in Belmar, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore, from 1997 through 2001. The book chronicles the 2000 season when the Running Roses contended for their first state championship in 12 years. Marc had taken his small group of boys from their first tentative strides as freshmen to this point when the core of his squad were five juniors who finally responded to Marc's nurturing approach and spiritual ideas.

Marc was surprised he got hired in the first place. Being Jewish, he did not think a Catholic school would add him to its faculty as a varsity head coach. But the St. Rose family was welcoming, and Marc responded in kind, developing concepts that embraced the two faiths and helped his runners climb the steepest hills. For example, Marc encouraged the team to say a prayer on the starting line before races. Hence, the title, which can be taken literally but has many other meanings in the ways young runners may be influenced by a higher power and get in touch with their deepest feelings and emotions.

Despite many ups and downs-see the "Oceangate" chapter for a pivotal teenage running misstep-Marc never relented from his attempt to teach good values and use cross-country to instill a wellspring of conviction in his boys. When Marc combined ideas of hard work, passion, prayer, and suffering for a cause-a belief system necessary to sustain the rigors of cross-country-the Running Roses ran their hearts out, making them championship contenders and teaching the coach many lessons along the way.