Yebrgual Melese, the Ethiopian marathon runner known for her success in major international races, has died at the age of 36 after suffering a sudden medical emergency while training in Addis Ababa.

According to local reports, Melese became seriously unwell during a training session earlier this week as she prepared for the Ottawa Marathon, scheduled to take place on May 24. She was taken to hospital on Tuesday, but doctors were unable to save her.

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation confirmed her death in a statement and described her as a "heroic athlete". The federation also extended condolences to her family, friends and supporters.

Preparing for Ottawa Marathon

Melese had been expected to compete among the leading runners in the women's category at the upcoming Ottawa Marathon in Ottawa.

Her sudden death has deeply affected the athletics community, particularly because she remained active in professional competition and was still training for major international events.

Over the years, Melese established herself as one of Ethiopia's respected long-distance runners, winning marathon races in Houston, Shanghai and Prague. She also achieved podium finishes at several major marathon events around the world.

Dubai Marathon performance brought global recognition

One of the defining performances of her career came at the 2018 Dubai Marathon, where she recorded a personal best time of 2:19:33.

At the time, the result placed her among the fastest women marathon runners in history. Despite that remarkable performance, she did not win the race, as four women completed the marathon in under two hours and 20 minutes that day.

Nevertheless, the race became one of the standout moments of her career and significantly raised her international profile in athletics.