When he began coaching boys' cross-country at a small Catholic high school in New Jersey, Marc Bloom almost quit in frustration. The boys rejected Bloom's attempts at discipline and were also-rans in competition. Bloom persisted, fueled by the spiritual teachings of his Jewish faith to "improve the world." When he combined those teachings with the boys' core Catholic values, the team responded with soaring results. They ran their hearts out, collecting trophies and learning values of commitment and passion-the spiritual victories Bloom had yearned for. Bloom and his squad formed rare bonds of love that built toward a perfect race in the state championships. Marc Bloom, an award-winning journalist, is a features writer for The New York Times and Contributing Editor of Runner's World.