Former Olympian Jenny Simpson Says She Has to End Running Career After Cardiac Arrest in Race

Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson says she will not run again after suffering cardiac arrest while running a pacer mile at a June track event in Raleigh.

Simpson shared the update in a Thursday post on her Instagram.

After being treated for heart failure, Simpson said she was diagnosed with an inherited heart condition known as "Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy."

"Scar tissue within my heart disrupted its electrical system, triggering dangerous heart rhythms that ultimately caused my heart to stop," Simpson wrote.

Simpson continued, "My future is an incredible gift. It's hopeful, and it has great purpose. But my diagnosis also means it would be dangerous for me to return to running.

"That chapter has ended. Thankfully, my story hasn't."

Simpson, 36, represented the United States in three Olympics. She won 1,500-meter gold at the 2011 World Championships and bronze in the same event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Associated Press first reported Simpson had been treated with CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) after collapsing on the track at the Sir Walter Miler on June 16.

Simpson wrote in her post that care "kept me alive until EMS arrived."

"After arriving at the hospital, I went into cardiac arrest again," Simpson wrote. "My heart continued to fail, and I was placed on life support before being transferred to Duke Hospital for more advanced heart failure support."

"And then, miraculously, my heart woke back up. My whole body proved remarkably resilient. Within days my heart and lungs were strong enough to work on their own."

Simpson went on to express gratitude for her running career, which spanned from winning four NCAA titles with Colorado to becoming the first American woman to medal in the Olympic 1,500-meter.

"I couldn't have written a better ending. To have my final run be a one mile race on the track, pacing young girls and running in community... I'm in awe of the goodness of what God has given me," Simpson wrote.

Simpson says she plans to remain Colorado while working on her recovery plan with doctors at Duke. She added she will discuss her recovery further in a CBS Saturday Morning appearance scheduled for this weekend.

Simpson initially retired from competitive running in 2024 after completing the New York City Marathon. She was named Fleet Feet's first Chief Running Officer, a job which includes designing training programs for the retailer, in February.