Ambulance Called for ‘Good Morning America’ Alum After Medical Emergency: T.J. Holmes Explains Chicago Marathon Incident

Former Good Morning America co-anchor T.J. Holmes suffered a serious injury during the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13, culminating in an ambulance call and a premature end to his race. Holmes and his partner, Amy Robach, recounted the incident on their podcast Amy & T.J.

“We are not having the morning after that we were expecting to have after a marathon,” Robach, 51, said on the Monday, Oct. 14, episode of the Amy & T.J. podcast. “Usually it’s celebratory, it is filled with relief and exuberance and gratitude. We have some of those things going on but we have a lot of disappointment as well but a lot of gratitude.”

The duo’s marathon journey began with logistical hurdles as they struggled to locate their designated tent, resulting in a lack of proper pre-race preparation. The pivotal moment occurred at the race’s midpoint when Holmes, 47, narrowly avoided colliding with a pedestrian on the course. “I catch myself with my right leg going down and, when I do it, I immediately feel the tweak in my right hip and kind of my right buttcheek,” Holmes explained, referencing a pre-existing issue with his IT band, per Us Weekly.

Initially unaware of Holmes’ injury, Robach only realized the severity of the situation several miles later when she noticed his evident discomfort. “You were literally grunting in pain,” she recalled. “That was something completely new to me. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s in that much pain.’”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝙏. 𝙅. 𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙈𝙀𝙎 (@officialtjholmes)

The couple made the difficult decision to withdraw from the race around mile 21, as Holmes’ knee began to swell noticeably. Compounding his troubles was a persistent left Achilles injury that had plagued him for months. The situation worsened when Holmes started vomiting on the street, prompting concerned paramedics to summon an ambulance.

Robach described Holmes’ deteriorating condition: “You looked awful. You were so pale. You were shivering and shaking because you’ve got this wet, sweaty clothing on, and now the wind is whipping. Then you started vomiting again. They wanted to take you to the hospital at that point.”

Despite the ambulance’s blaring sirens and the paramedics’ visible concern, Holmes was ultimately transported to a medical tent. Robach, along with two paramedics, assisted him, knowing he would resist being placed on a stretcher, according to the outlet.

Adding insult to injury, as the couple awaited their Uber ride back to their hotel, Holmes fell victim to an unexpected avian assault. “All of a sudden T.J. looks at me, and he says, ‘Robes, you gotta help me.’ I was like ‘What?’ He was like, ‘A bird just s— on my head,’” Robach recounted, dubbing it the “cherry on top of a rough day.”

The incident deeply affected Holmes, who became emotional while acknowledging Robach’s unwavering support. “You performed in a way yesterday that was — I can’t think of anyone besides my mom who has taken that kind of care for me when I was desperate,” he said, his voice breaking. He added, “You not just helped, but sacrificed something that was very important to you by taking yourself out of the race to aid your boyfriend.”

Holmes continued, “I was begging you to keep running, keep running when I knew I couldn’t keep running. You stuck with me, and you were fully trained for a marathon and you could’ve finished. You did not finish because of my bum ass yesterday. I loved you before we started, I didn’t know how possible it was to love and adore you possibly more.”

Robach, however, insisted that supporting Holmes “wasn’t even an option” for her. “That is what love is. And if you didn’t know or you didn’t fully trust how much I love you, if anything if yesterday proved that to you, then it was worth it,” she affirmed.

Demonstrating his resilience, Holmes has already set his sights on the New York Marathon scheduled for Nov. 3. “I cannot wait to get back out there because I’m so frustrated with what happened here in Chicago,” he said.

Merely two days after the Chicago incident, Holmes was back in his running shoes, preparing for the upcoming New York City Marathon. This decision prompted a playful reprimand from his sister, Tish. In an Instagram story, Holmes shared their text exchange, revealing Tish’s concern: “TJ.R!!!!!!” she exclaimed, using his birth name Loutelious ‘T. J.’ Holmes Jr. When Holmes noted it had been a while since she called him “T. Jr,” Tish retorted that he hadn’t “been that big of a Dumb A— in a while!!!” before inquiring about his wellbeing.

As Holmes and Robach continue to process their Chicago Marathon experience, they remain focused on their upcoming athletic activities and ongoing relationship. While Robach isn’t currently slated to run in New York, she’s contemplating joining to complete another race. She reflected, “I had said that I was thinking the Chicago Marathon might be my last marathon because it does take a toll on your body.”