By Rory Gannon

Copyright dailystar

A major marathon star has died just weeks after reaching a huge milestone in her career. She collapsed during a training session and needed to be taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later. Shewage Alene was aged just 30 when she passed away on Thursday (September 25) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The up-and-coming athlete was starting to make her mark on the spot, just four months after she clinched a major victory in her life. The Ethiopian long distance runner had been training ahead of a new season of athletics that could eventually lead her to the Olympics if she went on the right track. However, Alene’s journey was cut short just four months after she reached the pinnacle of her running career. Back in May, Alene was the first person to finish the Stockholm Marathon in Sweden. Warm photos of the sports star showed the runner grinning from ear to ear as she celebrating the huge accomplishment, according to the Daily Mail . But on Thursday, Stockholm Marathon’s Instagram page officially confirmed that the victor had sadly passed away suddenly. In a statement, the organisers said they were heartbroken to announce the news, leaving fans in a state of shock, as they could not believe such a star was struck down so young. “It is with deep sadness that we received the news of the passing of Shewarge Alene, winner of the adidas Stockholm Marathon 2025,” the post read. “Shewarge Alene felt unwell during a training session and was taken to the hospital, where unfortunately her life could not be saved. “She was 30 years old,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.” Alene was at the top of her game in the marathon world, and was one of the most respected athletes in the discipline, managing to bag some 12 medals out of the 27 she raced in as a pro. Her teammates often described her as a “determined” sportswoman, but always a “generous friend” when the heat was off. Since the announcement of her death, the running community has been left bereft, with one coach saying her sudden passing meant the world had lost “not only lost a great athlete, but also a role model for young girls in the country”. Despite a fleeting career in the marathon world, Alene’s potential was spotted by many, with the runner eventually being sponsored by sportswear titan Adidas. She was also a religious woman, with her Instagram bio reading: “God is never early, God is never late. God is always right on time!! Amen love sport.” Keen to find her place in the world, Alene left her native Ethiopia to pursue her long-distance running career, upping sticks and moving to New York. She also lived in Mexico for some time, dealing with the challenging landscapes, before returning to Ethiopia to train in the East African hills. She had already taken part in a slew of different marathons, including in Turkey in 2023, as well as Chile and Spain in 2024. She even was able to set an all-time best at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January, clocking out of the race with an impressive time of 2:29:34. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .