As a child Tom Jeffrey participated in many organized sports including soccer, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and wrestling. While growing up in a military family, he moved around to Georgia, New York, Germany, Springfield, VA, and Hawaii. After his freshman year at West Springfield High School, his family moved to Hawaii, where Tom became the 1990 Hawaii State Cross-Country Champion at the Punahou School in Honolulu.

He returned to the Virginia, enrolling at James Madison University. While majoring in political science and economics, he earned all-conference honors in cross-country and track. In 1996, he was All-East in the 3000 meter steeplechase. He took advantage of the coaching at JMU, which has produced many post-collegiate national class runners. Patiently developing his skills as a long distance runner, he says, "I learned how to train."

Upon graduation he worked as a sales representative. "I had a very hard time training at the level that I wanted and did not run very well." After devoting more time to training while working part-time, he was voted the 1996 and 1997 Charlottesville Track Club Runner of the Year. He has also been consistently ranked as one of the top open runners by the Washington Running Report.

"I feel that I have a very good understanding of what it takes to be a good distance runner, both from the point of view of an athlete and coach." While finishing his MBA at James Madison University, he is a graduate assistant coach. The job includes assisting with recruiting, coaching the younger developing runners, and supervising workouts. Next year he will be an Assistant Coach on a part-time basis.

With impressive track times (14:32 for 5000m, and 30:24 for 10,000m), he began training for longer distances. By running 2:20:06 and placing second at the Las Vegas Marathon, he qualified for the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh, PA.

While training for the Trials he ran 1:06:40 at the 1999 Philadelphia Half-Marathon, was first at the 1999 GW Parkway 15K (46:04), and placed second at the Georgetown Classic 10K (31:20). In 2000, Jeffrey was fourth at the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K (30:21), and third at the GW Parkway 15K (46:02).

He says the Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh went better than expected. His plan was to go out conservatively and beat as many people as possible. "I knew that a lot of guys would be in trouble if they went out too hard in the heat. I was very patient and it paid off." He finished nineteenth in 2:22:41 on the hilly course on a warm day. His immediate future plans include improving his track times and lowering his half-marathon PR.