Marc Bloom

Amazing Racers Marc Bloom

What would one call taking teens with no evident running talent and putting them through breakneck training combined with mantras from rock n' roll, techniques from Kenya, and philosophy from Australia, and turning them into champions? Is it revolutionary? Or just plain crazy?

Bill Aris has heard both, but one thing is indisputable. Everything Aris does with his runners - male and female - is new and extraordinary, and he has created a new American running dynasty. The runners of Fayetteville-Manlius High School, or F-M, have won the last nine out of 10 national championships and have the best cumulative record in cross country history. F-M's domination has shocked the sport for its defiance of accepted running principles and limitations. One year, the girls defeated the second-place team in the country by an average of 59 seconds per girl in a 5k race. Another year, the F-M girls ran faster than their Kenyan counterparts, who had come to Oregon as a showcase. Across the country, top coaches all whisper, "How do they do it?"

From adopting long-forgotten Spartan creeds to focusing on teenaged developmental psychology and gender-blindness in training, this is a a must-listen for millions of runners and the millions more who strive for better performance.