Sally Meyerhoff, a star marathon runner and 2007 Duke graduate, passed away Tuesday after a fatal bicycle accident.
Meyerhoff, who died at 27, was biking in Maricopa, Ariz. when she collided with a pickup truck. She had failed to yield at a two-way stop sign, a city spokesperson told Runner’s World Magazine.
Meyerhoff, who studied history at Duke, was recognized with national awards for her athletic achievements. In 2004, she was an All-American in cross country and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference cross country champion. In 2006, she received All-American honors for track.
One of the nation’s top marathon runners, Meyerhoff had been training for the 2012 Olympic marathon trials. Her personal blog—titled “Run Sal”—featured a countdown to the trials and posts detailing her training. She last updated the site Sunday with news of a new sponsor and an update on her preparation.
“I cannot express how HAPPY I am with where I am in my life right now though, and how grateful I feel for being able to do what I do,” she wrote March 6. “ I just wouldn't trade it for anything and any time I am feeling not very motivated, I think about how miserable I feel when I am not training or doing something else I don't LOVE.”
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