Ethiopian Marathon Star Collapses During Training and Dies

• Ethiopian athletics has been left in mourning following the sudden death of one of the country’s celebrated long-distance runners.
• The athlete had built a respected marathon career with victories across major international races and memorable performances on the global stage.
• The Comrades Marathon and fans across Africa flooded social media with emotional tributes

An Ethiopian marathon runner tragically passed away after collapsing during a training session following a sudden illness on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.

The country’s athletics federation announced the untimely death of Ethiopian long-distance runner Yebrgual Melese. She had reportedly been preparing for a race in Ottawa scheduled for 24 May. Melese was a former winner of several major marathons, including events in Houston, Prague and Shanghai.

Several media reports in Ethiopia stated that she suffered a sudden medical emergency in the capital city, Addis Ababa. She was rushed to the hospital but later passed away despite efforts by medical staff to save her life.

Read also

"I've never seen wind like that": Tree falls on KZN visitors at Midmar Dam, leaving two critical

In a statement, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation said it was deeply saddened by the sudden death of the celebrated athlete and extended condolences to her family, friends and supporters. Melese’s last competitive appearance was at a marathon in Beijing in May 2025, where she was unable to finish.

Fans pay tribute to Melese

One of the biggest achievements of Melese’s career came in 2015 when she finished second at the Chicago Marathon. During the same year, she also secured marathon victories in Houston and Prague.

The Comrades Marathon also paid tribute to the late running star with a heartfelt post on social media. A part of it read;

''We are deeply saddened by the passing of Yebrgual Melese from Ethiopia, who died at just 36 years old. She leaves behind two young children, and a large community of athletes, friends, and supporters who admired and cared for her.''

Fans across social media reacted with shock and sadness following news of her death.

@CarolRadull:

“Two-time Paris Half Marathon champion Yebrgual Melese has passed away aged 36 after collapsing during a training session in Addis Ababa. Rest in peace 🙏🏽”

@patrick36400658:

“Rest in peace.”

@nyakoejoel7:

“End of an era. Rest in Peace 🕊️.”

Read also

Popular rugby figure dies in fatal tractor rollover accident

@AgendaKE:

“How or why did this happen? What would cause the collapse of a high-performance athlete?”

@WaiJk:

“May she rest in peace.”

@Sabato_Fred:

“So sad, condolences to her family and friends.”

@farhiyaabass:

“So sad. She was so young.”

@Kama36378Kamau:

“So sad and tragic.”

As seen in the post below on X:

Melese's international success

Her standout international result came during the 2015 Chicago Marathon, where she finished second in a time of 2:23:43 against one of the strongest women’s fields in the sport. In the same year, she also won a bronze medal in the half-marathon at the All-Africa Games.

In 2016, she achieved another impressive result after finishing fifth at the Chicago Marathon. Her career-best marathon time of 2:19:36 was recorded in January 2018, making her one of the fastest women marathon runners in Ethiopian history during a dominant era for East African distance running.

Her death follows the passing of respected New Mexico athletics figure Sal Gonzales, who died after a long battle with cancer in April. It also comes after the death of marathon runner and lawyer Chinette Gallichan, who was shot and killed in the Johannesburg CBD by unknown attackers.

Source: Briefly News