Here’s how you can contribute to the GoFundMe campaign to help the Browning family offset medical bills.
American ultrarunner Jeff Browning—known affectionately in the trail community as “Bronco Billy”—remains in stable condition in France after suffering a serious cardiac emergency on August 24 at an aid station roughly 80 miles into the TDS, a 145-kilometer (90-mile) race that is part of the UTMB Mont-Blanc festival of races in Chamonix, France. The trail running community has quickly responded to help the Browning family offset medical bills, and you can, too.
The 55-year-old resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, is a Hardrock 100 champion, six-time finisher of the Western States 100 and longtime fixture at the top of the ultrarunning world.
Browning made his first social media post on Thursday, thanking family, friends and the trail running community for the overwhelming support. He said he would remain in France for another week in an apartment before heading home to Flagstaff.
“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. “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, sending runners on a very technical route toward Chamonix, France. Browing was weary when he arrived at the aid station and eventually collapsed and was without a pulse. 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.
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 a week before being cleared to fly home to the U.S., where his family says he’ll require ongoing cardiac rehabilitation for the foreseeable future.
Because the emergency happened overseas, the Browning family is facing steep uninsured medical costs, travel and lodging expenses near the hospital, and the cost of eventually transporting Jeff home—on top of a halted income, since he works as a self-employed endurance coach and is the father of three.
Longtime friend Kevin Walker helped launch a GoFundMe campaign, “Support Jeff and the Browning Family,” with the family’s blessing and has a current goal of $350,000; it had already raised well over $250,000 within the first week, including one $10,000 single donation. Trail runners and anyone in the endurance community who wants to support Browning’s recovery can contribute directly through the GoFundMe page, where funds go straight to his wife, Jenn, to be used for medical bills, travel, and ongoing care.
Earlier this year, Browning completed Cocodona 250 on May 8 in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the Western States 100 on June 27 in Auburn, and 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.
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