TikToker’s death after running scorching Disneyland half marathon comes as heat-related fatalities soar in US

A runner’s death after the Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon may ultimately be part of a disturbing jump in the number of heat-related deaths, which have doubled across the country in recent years.

One day before he ran the Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon during last weekend’s Southern California heat wave, Bobby Graves shared his trepidation about the torrid sun and humidity with thousands of his TikTok followers. Graves, 35, who went by his middle name, Caleb, posted a video September 7 in which he expressed concern about the 90-plus-degree heat and said he was “marginally worried” about running the next morning. Graves rested on a pillow after a 20-minute, early afternoon walk with his dog in the city of Garden Grove in northern Orange County. “Ten minutes after I came back in, I just passed out,” he said in the post, describing what he felt as “heat exhaustion.” The experienced long-distance runner and Disney-race enthusiast admitted having “some susceptibility” to high temperatures and said “the UV exposure with the heat in Southern California is its own kind of beast.” “I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning,” Graves told his followers. About 7 a.m. last Sunday, he crossed the finish line in one hour, 56 minutes, then started clutching his chest. A volunteer grabbed him before he fell, Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter said. About an hour later, Graves, in full cardiac arrest, was pronounced dead at a hospital. The Orange County coroner’s office says it is investigating whether the heat or something else killed the young attorney.