Russian athlete Margarita Plavunova has been found dead on the side of the road while out jogging during a training session.

The champion hurdler, 25, was discovered in the Morshansky District in the Tamblov Oblast region of western Russia.

She suffered a cardiac arrest while training, according to the regional athletics federation, while local media reports claim her sudden death was likely caused by her heavy workload.

Eyewitness reports state that Plavunova fell into a grassy area while training during a holiday in the region.

She was found by local residents who called paramedics, but they were unable to save her.

Plavunova, who also worked as a model, was a multiple regional, Central Federal District and All-Russia champion who competed in the national championships.

She participated in both sprinting and hurdles, and was a Russian student champion in the 60-meter hurdles, while also competing in both the 100-meter and 400-meter.

Born in the city of Kostovsk, she had a 14.06 personal best time in the 100-meter hurdles and was a graduate of the sports department at Tomsk State University.

The regional federation has already launched a fundraiser for her funeral, while Plavunova’s coach Elena Melnikova revealed that the preliminary autopsy suggests acute heart failure.

The athlete’s friend Sergei Safronov said she was at her grandmother’s in Morshansk while preparing for the next round of competitions.

Her death was confirmed by her boyfriend, fellow athlete Pasha Sedykh, who shared a snap of the two together on his Instagram.

Plavunova had amassed almost 6,000 followers on the social media site, including former Russian striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov.

She was not known to have any previous health issues.