Former Good Morning America host T.J. Holmes gave it everything he had, but failed to cross the finish while running the Chicago Marathon.
The 47-year-old was among the 50,000 athletes to start the race, but tragedy struck more than halfway through when Holmes suffered an injury that landed him in an ambulance. He made it to mile 21 of 26.2.
“So, this happened,” Holmes wrote on his Instagram Story, sharing a series of photos of him strapped to a stretcher and being attended to by an emergency medical technician, according to E! News.
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Holmes was running alongside his girlfriend and “Amy & T.J.“ podcast co-host, Amy Robach. The two had been posting updates on social media, including numerous photos and videos of themselves running.
But after mile 21, Holmes’ achilles tendon bothered him to the point he could no longer continue the race.
“Mile 21 and the Achilles gave out,” Robach, 51, wrote in an Instagram Story, confirming that she had withdrawn from the race to be with Holmes.
According to Mayo Clinic, the achilles tendon is a “strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone.” It’s one of the most common injuries among runners and athletes.
Holmes and Robach officially withdrew from the race after the 30k split, nearly 3 hours and 13 minutes into the race.
Holmes had been dealing with injury for several months
Holmes knew the risk of injury ahead of time. The former GMA host had been dealing with an achilles injury for several months leading up to the race, and even spoke about it on his podcast.
During a Sept. 30 episode, Holmes admitted that he might not be able to run in the Chicago Marathon.
“One of the two of us might not be running it,” he said. The couple had just gone on what was supposed to be an eight-mile run, but Holmes allegedly only made it 1.6 miles before injuring his achilles.
Robach praised Holmes for his perseverance during the recovery process.
“Every day you’re icing, you’re heating,” she said. “You’ve gone to a foot specialist who’s done some laser heat therapy. You’ve done everything you can. You’re on a steady dose of Aleve and Advil and it hasn’t gotten better.”
Holmes had previously described the pain as “inflammation on the back of my heel” and considered dropping out of the race to avoid rupturing his achilles.
Tips for avoiding achilles injuries while running
Staying physically active is essential to living a happy, healthy, and normal life. And while injuries are bound to happen when exercising, a strong majority of them can be prevented with the right precautions.
For example, wearing worn-out shoes with limited support will increase your risk of injuring the achilles.
Other things that could contribute to injury, according to Mayo Clinic, include not stretching or warming up before running, trying to do too much or run for too long, not allowing enough time for recovery, and not exercising regularly.
Common signs of an achilles injury include pain in the heel or calf, popping sounds, and not being able to push down on your foot or leg. If you notice any of these symptoms, stop running and seek medical help.
If medical help isn’t readily available, use the RICE method: rest, ice, compress, and elevate.
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As for T.J. Holmes, it remains unclear just how severe the achilles injury is.
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