In case you had not heard, a runner collapsed and died at the end of the runDisney Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon this weekend.
Bobby Graves, 35 - known as calebgtravels on TikTok - passed away Sunday after collapsing at the finish line of the race, according to multiple news reports.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts are with Caleb's family and loved ones during this difficult time," a Disneyland spokesperson said.
Temperatures across Southern California reached into the 100sF over the past week, with Disney starting the race well before dawn to help participants escape the worst of the heat. Runners on social media reported that the starting temperature was in the 70s, reaching into the 80s by the time that Disney swept the course after daybreak.
Those are high temps for a 13-mile race, but thousands of participants did complete the run without incident. In a now-deleted video posted before the race, Grav reportedly said that he had passed out after walking his dog in the mid-day heat the day before the race.
I have no way of knowing what happened, or if anything could have been done to save Graves, whose death is under investigation by the coroner. But I do want to urge anyone reading this to go to a doctor ASAP if you ever pass out unexpectedly.
Do not write off as heat or exhaustion what could be an underlying health problem coming to the surface. Get it checked out. When I worked at Disney, I saw plenty of guests suffering in the heat. For a few of them, however, the heat was not their problem but simply the catalyst that exposed an underlying health condition. That is why I did not hesitate to call an Alpha Unit to attend to people who could not make it to First Aid under their own power when I led them there. If your body is shutting you down, you need to know why so that, the next time, that shut-down is not permanent.
Again, I join with the Disneyland leadership team in mourning Graves' loss.
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An important reminder! Thank you for writing this well worded and compassionate article Robert.