Ethiopian athlete Shewarge Alene has died age 30, just four months after winning the 2025 Stockholm Marathon.

According to local media reports, Alene collapsed during a training session near Addis Ababa and was rushed to a hospital, where she died.

The Ethiopian was one of the sport’s most successful runners, winning 12 of the 27 marathons she entered.

She hit a personal best of 2:29:34 at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January, then followed up with her Stockholm victory in May, finishing in 2:30:38.

A spokesperson for the Stockholm Marathon confirmed Alene’s death on Instagram, and said: “It is with deep sadness that we received the news of the passing of Shewarge Alene, winner of the adidas Stockholm Marathon 2025.

“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.”

In 2010, Alene famously borrowed a pair of shoes before breaking the record at the Mount Washington Road Race with a time of 1:08:21. She also claimed major marathon wins in Turkey (2023), Chile (2014), and Spain (2014).

Teammates described Alene as both a relentless athlete and a generous friend. One of her coaches said: “The running community has not only lost a great athlete, but also a role model for young girls in the country.”

Alene spent parts of her career training abroad in New York and Mexico but had recently returned to Ethiopia to prepare for her next races.