Jenny Simpson, the 39-year-old three-time Olympian, collapsed Tuesday while pacing a mile group at a track event in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was taken to hospital where she is receiving treatment.
Event organizers said medical personnel and bystanders responded immediately to the incident. Organizers identified Simpson as the athlete involved and said emergency medical services joined on-site responders. Reports from Runner’s World and LetsRun say Simpson did not have a pulse for a period of time and that CPR and an automated external defibrillator were used to restore her pulse.
The response stopped the event and mobilized local EMS. Sir Walter Running, the event organizer, expressed gratitude to the individuals who stepped in and to the emergency teams and medical staff who treated Simpson, saying the organization was thankful for the speed and professionalism of the response and that Simpson is receiving excellent medical care; it also asked the public to keep Simpson and her family in their thoughts.
Simpson is one of the most decorated American middle-distance runners of the past two decades: a three-time Olympian who represented the United States in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro, she won the world title in the 1500m in 2011, took silver at the world championships in 2013 and 2017, earned bronze in the 1500m at the 2016 Olympics — becoming the first American woman to medal in that event — and claimed 11 U.S. national titles before retiring from competitive running in 2024.
The immediate facts are clear: a high-profile former athlete collapsed at a live event, responders used CPR and an AED, and she was transported to hospital. The central uncertainty — and the urgent medical question that remains unaddressed publicly — is what triggered the collapse and how Simpson is doing now beyond being under hospital care. Event organizers confirmed only that she is receiving treatment and asked for privacy.
The use of CPR and an AED, and the report that Simpson briefly lacked a pulse, highlight how quickly on-site care can change outcomes. Medical teams in Raleigh restored a pulse and handed Simpson over to hospital staff for ongoing evaluation. Sir Walter Running said it was grateful to everyone who reached out with concern and support and reiterated a request that people keep Simpson and her family in their prayers as they hope for the best.
Officials have not released additional medical details or a prognosis. The next developments that will matter are statements from the hospital or Simpson’s family about her condition and any information about the cause of the collapse. For now, Simpson remains under medical care in a Raleigh hospital, and organizers and reporters say updates are expected but have not been provided.
