Grace Nolan, elite runner and medical student, killed in crash before the Detroit Free Press Marathon

Grace Nolan, a 25-year-old elite distance runner and medical student who was set to lead the women’s field at the Detroit Free Press Marathon, has been killed in a car crash. The marathon’s organizers announced her death on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and her name drew more than 50,000 US searches overnight, according to Google Trends.

What happened

Nolan was killed in a motor vehicle crash over the weekend in Walled Lake, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit, according to USA TODAY and Canadian Running. USA TODAY, citing the Detroit Free Press, reported that it happened in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 18, the day she was due to race.

Her father, Jason Nolan, wrote on Facebook that she was traveling with her boyfriend, identified only as Matt, who was injured but expected to recover, Canadian Running reported.

Details of the crash have not been released, and we have not seen an official account of its cause. Some reports differ on the exact timing, so we’re sticking to what the race organizers and established outlets have confirmed.

Who Grace Nolan was

Nolan was a second-year student at Oakland University’s William Beaumont School of Medicine, according to the race organizers. USA TODAY reported that she hoped to become a cardiologist.

She was a standout runner at Oakland University: a three-time All-Horizon League First Team cross-country runner who won the Horizon League 10,000-meter title with a championship record in her final collegiate season, and the league’s 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee, per the marathon’s statement quoted by Canadian Running.

In 2025, she finished fourth in the women’s race at the Detroit Free Press Marathon, her first marathon.

Tributes

Race organizers said they were “heartbroken,” adding: “Grace was a remarkable young woman.” Friends and teammates have remembered her kind spirit and determination, mlive reported.

FAQ

Who was Grace Nolan? A 25-year-old Oakland University medical student and elite runner from Michigan.

How did she die? In a car crash in Walled Lake, Michigan, over the weekend of Oct. 17-18. Details have not been released.

Was anyone else hurt? Her boyfriend was injured and is expected to recover, according to her father’s post.