TikToker Bobby Caleb Graves and avid long distance runner dies one day after posting ominous warning about forthcoming Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon race in which he succumbed to fatal cardiac arrest after crossing finish line.
‘I’m marginally worried…’ A 35-year-old avid runner and TikToker died on Sunday, just moments after completing Disneyland’s Halloween Half Marathon. Of note, the social media influencer‘s death comes just hours after taking to TikTok to warn off his premonition’s of the forthcoming ‘hot race.’
Bobby Graves — also going by the name of ‘Caleb’ on social media — collapsed just after crossing the race’s finish line, which took place early Sunday morning amid a record, triple-digit heatwave 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,’ Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter told People.
@calebgtravels Disneyland Halloween half mararhon is tomorrow and this heat got me looking crazy #disney #rundisney #disneyland #disneyparks #run ♬ original sound – Caleb
TikTok runner went into cardiac arrest upon completing Half Marathon Race
Sutter stated that the timeline means Graves finished the race in under two hours, ‘which is a really good time.’
Added Sutter: ‘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.’
Medics (as is typical for such races) were on standby and rushed to assist Graves after collapsing.
‘Fire and rescue personnel were right there on the scene,’ Sutter explained. ‘Emergency services could not have been there any faster.’
Sutter adds that medics ‘noticed he went into cardiac arrest, performed life-saving measures and transported him right away to the hospital.’
Despite working on Graves for an hour, he was ‘pronounced deceased at the hospital,’ Sutter said.
Premonition hours before Half Marathon Race
In a video posted to his more than 18,000 TikTok followers just one day before his death, Graves spoke about the high temperatures in California ahead of the run, saying, ‘Disneyland Half Marathon — the Halloween Half Marathon — is tomorrow and I’m marginally worried now.’
‘I went outside today around 2:00 — which is probably the hottest part of the day — and it was 90-something degrees,’ Graves said in the video, posted to his @calebgtravels account.
Elsewhere, he spoke about his ‘susceptibility’ to the heat, saying: ‘I have some susceptibility, I don’t know if it’s temporary or long-term, to heat. Because I was outside for like 20 minutes, walking my dog, and it was hot, but I felt fine … and then like 10 minutes after I got back in, I just passed out.
‘I just fell asleep — no control over my body. It was heat exhaustion, it’s only happened once to me before,’ he added. ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning.’
In another video posted to TikTok, Graves shared himself picking up his race number ahead of the event, and imploring other runners to ‘remember it will be HOT!’
‘Stay hydrated and listen to your body,’ Graves added in the caption. ‘Good luck to all the runners!’
No known medical conditions
Of note there were no reports of other runners collapsing or requiring medical attention at the Disneyland race, as a result of the race taking place early in the morning, and not ‘during the full heat of the day,’ according to Sutter.
‘I’ve spoken to medical professionals who say that one or two cardiac events can happen during a big race like this. But the deaths are rare,’ Sutter added.
Sutter told the Los Angeles Times that Graves had no known medical conditions.
The Orange County Coroner’s Office is now handling the autopsy which could take weeks or months.
Graves earned a law degree at Georgetown University and worked as a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, according to the law firm’s website.
Graves, an experienced long-distance runner, completed Disney World’s full marathon and half-marathon races this year and in 2023.
‘We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts are with Caleb’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,’ Jessica Good, Disneyland Resort spokesperson, said in an emailed statement to KTLA.
