Heath graduated high school and attended Stanford University, where he was a nine-time All-American (placing in the top 8 at the national championships in track and field or 35 in the single-event NCAA cross-country championships) including leadoff leg to the championship distance-medley relay team in the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.[5] He specialized in the 1500, mile and 5K and was one of the lead runners for the Stanford cross-country team. He broke the 4-minute mile barrier in 2007.[6] He was one of only three collegians along with teammate Russell Brown and Leonel Manzano to run a mile in under four minutes that year. Heath was also the runner-up to Oklahoma State University's German Fernandez in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[7][8]
Post-collegiate
As a professional, Heath ran for Brooks, training with the Brooks Beasts track club. In 2012, the Olympic year, he was ranked 4th among US distance runners in the mile and the 1500m indoors. He was ranked 8th among U.S. 1500m runners for outdoor track. [citation needed] He finished ninth in his semifinal heat at the Olympic Trials, thus failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Team.[9] Heath defeated Leonel Manzano in 2013 to win the USA 1 Mile Road Championship.[10] In 2014, Heath was the surprise winner of the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country short course (4 km) race, then defended his title by winning again in 2015. A third victory came in 2016 when he gave world champion Mo Farah his first cross country defeat since 2010.[11]
In 2022, Heath transitioned away from racing on the track and began focusing on trail racing as part of the Brooks Trail Running Team.[12]
