Melese experienced a health incident while training to prepare for the Ottawa Marathon on 24/5 in Canada, where she was listed among the elite runners for the event. According to local media, the runner was rushed to the hospital immediately afterwards, but did not survive despite doctors' efforts to save her.

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation extended its condolences to her family, friends, and fans, calling Melese "a heroic athlete" of Ethiopian athletics. The specific cause has not been released.

Ethiopian athlete Yebrgual Melese celebrates winning the Shanghai Marathon with a time of 2:20:30 on 18/11/2018 in Shanghai, China. Photo: AFP

Ethiopian athlete Yebrgual Melese celebrates winning the Shanghai Marathon with a time of 2:20:30 on 18/11/2018 in Shanghai, China. Photo: AFP

Melese was one of Ethiopia's prominent long-distance runners in the 2010s. She made a strong impression with her tenacious, consistent racing style and often achieved high results in major global races.

The year 2015 marked the peak of Melese's career. In less than 10 months, she consecutively won marathons in Houston, Prague, and Shanghai. Also that year, Melese achieved 2:23:43, finishing second at the Chicago Marathon, her best performance in a World Marathon Major event.

At the 2015 Houston Marathon, Melese won with a time of 2:23:23 amid cold and strong winds. A few months later, this Ethiopian runner triumphed at the Prague Marathon thanks to a strong burst of speed in the second half of the race. By the end of the year, she completed a hat-trick of titles with a victory at the Shanghai Marathon.

During her peak career, Melese often achieved sub-2:25 times, a very high standard for women's marathon at the time. Melese's personal best (PB) was 2:19:36, set at the 2018 Dubai Marathon.

Melese last competed at the Beijing Marathon in 5/2025, but she could not finish the race. After that, the 36-year-old athlete returned to Ethiopia to train for the new season before the incident occurred.

Nhat Tao