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A runner and social media vlogger has died after crossing the finish line at Disney’s 2024 Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon race.
Caleb Graves, 33, died after receiving medical assistance Sunday near the Anaheim, Calif., resort, shortly following the end of the race that saw him cross the finish line at around 7 a.m. local time, Entertainment Weekly has learned.
Sgt. Matt Sutter, a public information officer for the Anaheim Police Department, said Anaheim Fire & Rescue teams immediately provided assistance to Graves at the end of the course.
“The runner crossed the finish line. As soon as he did, one of the workers at the marathon noticed the gentleman was clutching his chest,” Sutter told EW. “They noticed he was going into cardiac arrest.” He was quickly transported to the nearby Anaheim Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead approximately an hour later.
In a statement to EW, a Disneyland Resort spokesperson, Jessica Good said, “We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts are with Caleb’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.” EW has reached out to local authorities for more information
Getty; AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
In a TikTok video posted Saturday, one day before he died, Graves recounted passing out from heat exhaustion after going outside to walk his dog. “I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning,” he said at the end of the clip.
Per The Weather Channel, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees on each day of the marathon event, including hitting 110 degrees on Friday and 107 degrees on Sunday, though Sgt. Sutter said it’s unclear if heat played a factor in Graves’ death or not, and that the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department is currently investigating.
Graves was a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a firm that represents “technology pioneers,” according to its website. He was also a popular presence among the Disney vlogging community, amassing just under 18,000 followers on TikTok, largely for his videos about Disneyland.
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The Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend is the latest in a long line of marathon races regularly held at both Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., as part of the company’s ongoing runDisney program of athletic experiences. The next marathon race is set for the weekend of Jan. 30, with a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and a separate kids race all scheduled for that block of days.
