Tragedy occurred on Sunday in Anaheim, California, as a runner taking part in Disneyland’s Halloween Half Marathon collapsed and was later pronounced dead.
Other Hearst Subscriptions 1:56:00 at around 7 a.m., clutching his chest as he crossed the line. A race volunteer caught Graves before collapsing to the ground, according to Anaheim Police Sergeant Matt Sutter.
“Anaheim fire and rescue personnel were on scene immediately and started giving lifesaving measures and transported them to the hospital,” Sutter told the LA Times. “Unfortunately, they worked on him for about an hour, and he was pronounced deceased at the hospital.”
Graves was an avid fan of Disney theme parks and posted frequently about them on his TikTok account, where he had amassed nearly 19,000 followers on the platform. Graves was an experienced long-distance runner who often shared reviews and advice for runners participating in Disney races on the platform. Earlier this year, Graves had competed in the Disney World full marathon and half marathons, which he also did in 2023.
Graves had no known medical conditions before his sudden death, and the coroner’s office is still investigating the cause of cardiac arrest. Anaheim has been amid a late-summer heat wave in which temperatures have soared into the triple digits—including on race day, where the high eventually reached 108 degrees. Graves posted to TikTok a day before the race, voicing his concern about the heat.
“I was outside for like 20 minutes walking my dog,” Graves said Australian Sprinter, 16, Runs Record-Breaking 200m. “Ten minutes later after I came back in, I just passed out.” Graves said during the video that despite growing up in Texas, the UV exposure in Southern California was vastly different. “I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning,” he said.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts are with Caleb’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good told the LA Times via email.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
