TikToker Caleb Graves Died Just Moments After Finishing a Disneyland Half Marathon
"I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning," he said just one day before his death.
Published Sept. 11 2024, 9:51 a.m. ET
Sadly, 35-year-old TikToker and avid runner Caleb Graves died on Sunday, Sept. 8 just moments after crossing the finish line of Disneyland's Halloween Half Marathon.
Fans and friends are sharing their condolences on social media, and above all else, folks just want to know what happened. After all, he loved to run and seemed to be in fantastic shape.
The beloved content creator was no stranger to a marathon — or a Disney one, at that — but his final video posted to TikTok before his passing hinted that something was going to go wrong. Here's what we know.
What happened to Caleb Graves? His cause of death is being investigated.
According to Anaheim, Calif. Police Sergeant Matt Sutter, who spoke with People, Caleb crossed the finish line at approximately 7 a.m., just under two hours before his starting time, "which is a really good time."
"As soon as he crossed the finish line, he started grabbing his chest. One of the workers noticed and ran up to him and caught him before he collapsed," he told People. "Fire and rescue personnel were right there on the scene."
According to Sgt. Sutter's statement, Caleb evidently went into cardiac arrest and was immediately transported to the hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.
An autopsy is being performed to find out exactly what happened to him, especially because he was so young and seemingly in shape. However, a TikTok posted the day before his passing hinted that something wasn't right with his body.
"The Halloween Half Marathon is tomorrow, and I'm marginally worried now," Caleb said in the video, referencing the record heat wave taking place in Southern California. "I went outside today around 2:00, which is probably the hottest part of the day, and it was 90-something degrees."
He then spoke about his "susceptibility" to the heat, explaining that he had suffered what he believed to be heat exhaustion: "I have some susceptibility, I don't know if it's temporary or long-term, to heat. Because I was outside for like 20 minutes, walking my dog, and it was hot, but I felt fine ... and then like 10 minutes after I got back in, I just passed out.
"I just fell asleep, no control over my body. It was heat exhaustion, it's only happened once to me before," he added. "I don't know what's going on, but I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning."
Our thoughts are with Caleb's fans, friends, and family at this time.