A 35-year-old runner and TikTok creator tragically passed away on Sunday, just moments after completing a Disney Halloween Half Marathon.
Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter confirmed that Bobby Graves, known as “Caleb” on social media, collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line of the race. The event took place early in the morning during an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures reaching triple digits in Southern California.
“The race started at 5 AM, I don’t know what start wave he was in but he crossed the finish line at approximately 7 AM,” Sutter told People.
He noted that the timeline indicates Graves completed the race in under two hours, which is an impressive achievement.
“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,” Sutter added.
As is common at popular racing events, medics were on standby and quickly rushed to assist Graves.
“Fire and rescue personnel were right there on the scene,” Sutter explained. “Emergency services could not have been there any faster.”
Sutter detailed that medics “noticed he went into cardiac arrest, performed life-saving measures, and transported him right away to the hospital.”
“They worked on him for an hour, but he was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Sutter added.
Graves Shared Videos Leading Up to the Disney Half Marathon Which are Heartbreaking in Retrospect
In a video shared with his over 18,000 TikTok followers just a day before his passing, Graves discussed the soaring temperatures in California in anticipation of the upcoming run.
“Disneyland Half Marathon — the Halloween Half Marathon — is tomorrow and I’m marginally worried now,” he admitted in the video.
“I went outside today around 2:00 — which is probably the hottest part of the day — and it was 90-something degrees,” Graves detailed in the footage, which he posted to his @calebgtravels account.
In another TikTok video, Graves showcased the moment he picked up his race number in preparation for the event. He also warned fellow runners to “remember it will be HOT!”
“Stay hydrated and listen to your body,” Graves wrote in the caption to the footage. “Good luck to all the runners!”
Meanwhile, Sutter noted that the Orange County Coroner’s Office is currently conducting the autopsy and will eventually issue a report, although this process may take several weeks or even months.
Graves obtained a law degree from Georgetown University and served as a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, per the law firm’s website.