Ethiopian marathon runner Yebrgual Melese died during a training session in Addis Ababa. She was 36 and preparing for the Ottawa Marathon. She died on Tuesday.

Melese won several marathons, including Houston, Prague and Shanghai.

According to local media, she experienced a sudden medical emergency, fell and died at the Yekatit 12 Hospital while receiving treatment. 

No further details have been made public.

“The Ethiopian Athletics Federation expresses its deep sorrow over the sudden passing of this heroic athlete and offers condolences to her family, friends and fans,” the governing body said in a statement.

Melese’s most recent competitive outing came in a marathon in Beijing, which she failed to finish, in May last year

Her personal best was 2:19:36 during the 2018 Dubai Marathon. In 2015, she finished second in the Chicago Marathon.

Her coach, Tesfaye Abadisa “Coach China,” was one of the first to publicly confirm the news through social media before broader federation confirmation.

She leaves behind a husband and two children. (Athletics Illustrated)

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