In the early hours of March 26, Tom Heal woke up for a brisk, three-mile run to start his day. He ate a simple lunch of rice before heading to the Raleigh Relays meet to represent the Miami University RedHawks.
Heal competes in the 3000 meter steeplechase, an obstacle race featuring barriers and water jumps. Going into the event, he didn’t expect anything particularly phenomenal to happen. His preparation before and performance during the race felt like another day for the senior from the United Kingdom.
When he crossed the finish line in Raleigh, North Carolina, Heal set a personal record with a time of 8 minutes, 50.32 seconds, ranking third in program history. One year prior, he had positioned himself at seventh all-time in the same event during his first year as a RedHawk.
Heal started his career at Queens University in North Carolina after crossing the Atlantic Ocean from his home country. He grew up in a running family, competing in 5 kilometer races before a coach at his local athletic club introduced him to the steeplechase.
When he decided to transfer out of Queens, Heal began talking with De’Sean Turner, Miami’s head cross country and associate head track and field coach. Turner felt that Heal would fit well both athletically and academically at Miami, but the coaching staff at the time was on an interim basis.
Heal took a gamble and committed to Miami, a decision that Turner said has boosted the program’s strength and lifted up the rest of the team.
“One of the best things about Tom is you never doubt his ability to work hard,” Turner said. “You never doubt that he is willing to put in the work to get better, which he’s done consistently since he got here … He’s actually somebody who I would really like others on the team and recruits that are considering Miami to take a look at.”
Heal’s determination was on full display at the Jesse Owens Track Classic last season in Columbus, Ohio. The day of the 3000 meter steeplechase event was littered with rainstorms and no indication of the weather improving. Turner nearly pulled his athletes from their events, but Heal convinced him to let the team compete.
Heal made it worthwhile; he finished in first place with a time of 8:54.77, good for seventh-best in program history.
“Everyone else in that race is running in the rain,” Heal said. “It’s not like a special condition for you, somebody’s got a cloud over your head … I was kind of shocked about 8:54. I was just trying not to think about the rain and just focus on each barrier, each lap, getting through it and trying to put my best version of myself out there regardless of the external conditions.”
With one year at Miami under his belt, Heal knew that the 2026 track season would push his limits once more. His preparation over J-Term and his performance at the indoor track meets set the stage for his achievement in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Similar to the Jesse Owens Track Classic, Heal thought nothing of his preparation leading up to the Raleigh Relay. He didn’t realize what he accomplished until after the event.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
“To be honest, I was a little annoyed,” Heal said. “I went into the race trying to run an 8:45. I always set a target that’s almost unachievable, but one day you’re going to achieve it … After a few minutes, I was like, ‘Actually, this is pretty good, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done.’”
Alongside Heal, Petros Sanchez Ropero and Anton Martinez had phenomenal performances in the steeplechase. Ropero’s time of 8:51.53 puts him fourth-best in the program, and Martinez finished at 9:01.20.
“They all know, including Tom, that the job’s not finished,” Turner said. “Both Tom and Petros Sanchez currently have qualifying times for the NCAA First Rounds. Anton Martinez is right behind them, so we could potentially have three guys in that event at the First Round. We haven’t had three people in one event at the First Round in a while, if we have at all.”
As the season comes to a close, the team hopes that even more RedHawks will qualify for the NCAA First Round and Championship.
Heal has one more year of eligibility and competition before moving on to post graduation plans.
Read More
Cooper’s corner: My experience traveling with The Miami Student
By Cooper Meneghetti | YesterdayA March Madness travel review.
The bond behind Blake Mesenburg’s Teammate of the Year finalist selection
By Graham Young | 2 days agoBlake Mesenburg and Liam Jergenson have formed an incredible bond through Team IMPACT and the Miami University RedHawks hockey team.
From Carmel to Reese’s: Suder competes in NABC All-Star game
By Vincent Jolliff | 3 days agoMiami University RedHawks senior guard Peter Suder competed in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game on April 3.