After Surviving a Mid-Race Heart Attack, Ultrarunner Jeff Browning Says ‘There Is a Path Forward’ to Getting Back on the Trails

American ultrarunner Jeff Browning is still recovering in France from a heart attack he suffered during the August 24 TDS race in Chamonix, France. But after several surgical procedures at two different hospitals, there is reason to be optimistic.The 55-year-old resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, is a Hardrock 100 champion, six-time finisher of the Western States 100, a Keen-sponsored runner, and a longtime fixture at the top of the ultrarunning world. He made his first social media post on Thursday, thanking family, friends, and the trail running community for the overwhelming support. He said he would be released from Grenoble Alpes University Hospital in France and spend another week in recovery in a nearby apartment before heading home to Flagstaff, Arizona.“I’m so grateful for all the prayers, love and support from this entire community and the future remains to be seen, but I’m happy to share that there is a path forward and a path to me getting stronger and being back on the trails,” Browning said in the post. “As I continue to heal up from these two procedures and surgery and nine days in the hospital, I finally get to move to an apartment today and get out of the hospital. I’ll be in France for about another week before I can travel home. But I just want to especially thank the amazing doctors and staff here in France for keeping me alive.”The TDS race started at 11:50 p.m. on the night of August 24 in Courmayeur, Italy, and sent runners on a very technical route toward Chamonix, France. Browning reportedly fell midway through the race and reported blurry vision before collapsing near an aid station.Race and emergency medical teams responded immediately, administering defibrillation on site before Browning was then airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in France, where he underwent an emergency procedure to place three stents.“It’s fortunate that it happened to be in an aid station where they were doing medical checks,” said George Plomarity, the business director for Keen’s running division who was serving as Browning's crew chief during the race. “The moment that I realized he didn't have a pulse until he was intubated, you know, wasn't more than three minutes tops.”Keen helped Jeff’s wife, Jenn, and his sister, Jessica, get on a flight to Geneva, Switzerland, within hours of hearing about the news. A few runners who were in Chamonix during the UTMB festival of trail running races, including Scott Jurek and Michael Versteeg, also paid him a visit at the hospital.“Things are heading in the right direction,” Plomarity said. “It’s gonna be an enormous change for Jeff, of course, but he's gonna be able to run again in a very different capacity. But he's healthy and he's alive and he's got his family and his friends and, you know, it's all positive from that point of view.”The overseas nature of the emergency has left the Brownings facing significant uninsured medical costs, along with travel and lodging expenses near the hospital and the eventual cost of transporting Jeff home. Compounding the financial strain, Browning is a self-employed endurance coach and father of three, meaning his income has been halted indefinitely during his recovery.Browning's family confirmed he regained consciousness in the days following the incident and that his doctors were optimistic about his recovery, though they described his situation as more serious than initially expected, requiring additional procedures and hospital transfers. He remains under medical care in France for the time being, with his family noting he'll need to stay in the country for at least several more weeks before being cleared to fly home to the U.S., where his family says he'll require ongoing cardiac rehabilitation for the foreseeable future.Prior to the TDS race, Browning placed 15th in the Cocodona 250 on May 8 in Flagstaff, Arizona, and finished 22nd in the Western States 100 on June 27 in Auburn, California. Then after helping mark the course for the Hardrock 100 in Silverton, Colorado, he helped pace David Ayala to a third-place finish on July 11.Longtime friend Kevin Walker launched a GoFundMe campaign, "Support Jeff and the Browning Family," with the family's blessing, setting a goal of $350,000. Within its first week, the campaign had already surpassed $250,000, buoyed by a single $10,000 donation among the outpouring of support. Trail runners and others in the endurance community who want to help can donate directly through the GoFundMe page, with all proceeds going straight to Jenn Browning to cover medical bills, travel, and continued care for her husband.“There are moments like this where you realize this is what community really means, right?” Plomarity said. “You know, the way that we come together in these moments, both in triumph and tragedy and support, is what it's all about. The depth of that support has been just tremendous, from just thoughts and prayers to the donations to the outpouring of advice and support and offers of help and aid. Plus, there were multiple friends who jumped on airlines within hours to get over to France to help support him.”Brian Metzler is a Boulder, Colorado, writer and editor whose work has appeared in Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Outside, Trail Runner, The Chicago Tribune, and Red Bulletin. He’s a former walk-on college middle-distance runner who has transitioned to trail running and pack burro racing in Colorado.