Jenny Simpson to step away from running after cardiac arrest in June
Jenny Simpson, the 39-year-old former 1500m world champion, said on Thursday she will step away from running after collapsing and suffering cardiac arrest while pacing a mile group at an event in North Carolina in June. She announced she has been diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
Simpson represented the United States at three Olympics in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro and won bronze in the 1500m in 2016. At the time she was the first American woman to medal in the event. She was the 2011 world champion in the 1500m and later won silver medals in the event at the 2013 and 2017 world championships. Simpson claimed 11 US titles before retiring from elite running in 2024.
At the June event Simpson was given CPR and taken to hospital. Medical staff placed her on life support because of issues with her heart and lungs. Those interventions followed the cardiac arrest she suffered while pacing the mile group.
In an Instagram post on Thursday Simpson said she had been diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). She wrote that the condition triggered "dangerous heart rhythms that ultimately caused my heart to stop." She said the diagnosis means it would be dangerous for her to return to running.
"That chapter has ended," she said. "Thankfully, my story hasn’t." On Instagram she added: "You might be wondering what would be the right thing to say to me after an event like this," she wrote. "Please do not say that you’re sorry or that you feel bad for me. If it is true in your heart, please tell me you’re glad that I’m here. That’s how I feel – so glad that I’m still here."
Simpson works in an executive role for running company Fleet Feet and said she still feels a strong connection to her sport. Her professional role at Fleet Feet remains part of her ongoing involvement in the running community.
The report was published on 21 August 2026. Simpson has said she will not return to running.
