Stockholm Marathon Champ Dies Suddenly at 30

Shewarge Alene, an accomplished marathon runner from Ethiopia, has died at age 30, just months after she won the Stockholm Marathon. "It is with deep sorrow that we have received the news of the passing of Shewarge Alene, the Stockholm Marathon said in an Instagram post. "Shewarge Alene became unwell during a training session and was taken to hospital, where sadly, her life could not be saved." She lived in Mexico but she was training in Ethiopia when she became ill, the Independent reports. After she said she felt unwell and fatigued, Alene was taken to a hospital in Addis Ababa, where she died.

Alene was in the midst of an impressive career, securing victories in 12 out of 27 professional races between 2011 and 2025. She claimed the Stockholm Marathon title in May with a time of 2:30:38. She set a personal best of 2:27:26 in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2023, the BBC reports. Alene moved to New York City when she was in her late teens to pursue her running career, Running reports. When she was 17, she placed fourth at the 2011 NYC Half Marathon. She made her marathon debut at the New York Marathon later that year.