In January 2018, Yebrgual Melese created history by smashing the course record in Shanghai in just 2:20:36. It marked the start of a promising marathon career for the Ethiopian, especially after picking up key victories in Houston, Prague, and Paris. But as she was training for a crucial race in her second stint, the 36-year-old tragically passed away in training.

That has been confirmed by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, leaving the entire community in mourning.

“The Ethiopian Athletics Federation expresses its sorrow at the sudden death of this heroic athlete and offers its condolences to her family, friends, fans, and the entire sporting community,” wrote the governing body of Ethiopian athletics.

According to local media reports, Yebrgual Melese had been training for the upcoming Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon in which she was entering the track as a favorite. Set to take place on May 24, the 36-year-old marathoner was looking to make her comeback after competing in just two races in 2025. However, that’s when tragedy struck, as Melese collapsed and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital.

Addis Media News reported that despite the presence of medical professionals, the Ethiopian marathoner tragically passed away. However, officials have not released the cause of death.

Melese was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most promising distance runners. After all, her personal best time (2:19.33) in Dubai made her one of the few women at the time to break the sub-2:20 barrier for women. Since 2018, breaking 2:20 has become more common; only twelve women have done so. Furthermore, the 36-year-old finished second at the 2015 Chicago Marathon, with wins in Houston, Prague, and Shanghai.

Not only that, she owns the championship record for the Shanghai International Marathon and the Portugal Half-Marathon, setting both times in 2018. Beyond that, Melese also finished second in the Frankfurt, Dongying, Chicago, and Paris marathons over the course of her career. However, she did take a nearly four-year break between 2020 and 2024, for unknown reasons.

Reports indicated that the 36-year-old did so to focus on her family, having had two children with her husband during that period. Melese eventually made her comeback in 2024, participating in three marathons, including the Seoul and Berlin marathons. There she placed fifth and eighth, respectively, before finishing second in the 2025 Barcelona marathon. It marked an impressive return to action with the Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon set to be her 2026 debut.

While this has left the running community reeling, it marks yet another tragic death the community has suffered.

Lessons from past tragedies still fall short in distance running

As one of the most grueling sports on the planet, distance running has faced a challenging period over the last few months. That comes after the death of multiple marathon and ultra-marathoners worldwide. The recently concluded 2026 Cocodona 250-mile had the running community in mourning after a runner tragically passed away mid-race.

The organisation shared the news via their official social media channels, reporting that a woman in her 40s collapsed around 80 miles into the course. Despite the quick response of first responders, the participant tragically passed away. That comes after two runners passed away, within a day of each other, while running separate ultramarathons.

David Parrish and Gregory lost their lives while running their own marathons across two separate continents. Parrish, a former ultramarathon champion, was found dead while attempting to break the Cape Wrath Trail FKT Attempt in Scotland. Gregory, on the other hand, was attempting to complete the challenging Marathon des Sables, but collapsed in the early hours of the fourth stage.

The runner received immediate medical attention and was taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Errachidia, but tragically passed away a few days later.

The tragedy surrounding Yebrgual Melese has left distance running shaken, especially given that the Ethiopian was preparing for yet another comeback moment. And with multiple recent deaths continuing to haunt the sport, serious questions around athlete safety and the physical toll of endurance racing aren’t going away anytime soon.