Jess Warner-Judd doesn't recall much about that night in Rome. But the 31-year-old British runner has turned a terrifying mid-race seizure into the catalyst for a renewed career, culminating in her London Marathon debut this Sunday.
In June 2024, during the European Championship 10,000m final at Stadio Olimpico, Warner-Judd began veering uncontrollably into outer lanes, her face etched with distress. With 600 meters to go, she collapsed. She had suffered a seizure caused by undiagnosed focal epilepsy, and a second, more severe seizure required sedation.
"I'm very lucky to have had sort of a second chance at running," Warner-Judd told BBC Sport. "Doctors said I would probably have to retire if I kept trying before I had therapy."
Her husband Rob, who watched from the stands with her father and coach Mike, recalled: "That really hit home that there are more important things than running."
The first sign came months earlier in California, where she failed to finish a 10,000m race for the first time. Epilepsy is difficult to diagnose; only after Rome did she get an answer.
Her return was arduous. After attempting an immediate comeback, she found her body wasn't ready—it took 12 minutes to run her first mile. Mental scars lingered; returning to the track triggered panic attacks. A year of therapy helped her process the trauma.
"It was really difficult to love running again," she said. "Going for a run used to be my safe space. Now I just want to do it for me."
Warner-Judd has made a new life in Clitheroe with Rob, their cocker spaniels, and rabbits, balancing training with a part-time supermarket job. Her marathon debut in New York last November shattered expectations: 2 hours 24 minutes and 45 seconds, seventh place, just two seconds behind Olympic champion Sifan Hassan.
Now she lines up in Greenwich Park for the London Marathon, a full-circle moment from winning the Mini Marathon 14 years ago. She says she has "unfinished business" but is in no rush to return to the track. It happens on her terms.
"I do feel like there's unfinished business there. It's not goodbye forever—just for now."
TCS London Marathon
- Sunday, 26 April
- Wheelchair race: 08:50 BST, women's elite: 09:05 BST, men's elite & mass: 09:35 BST
- Watch live on BBC One from 08:30 BST, streams on iPlayer and BBC Sport website.