NYC Marathon Runner Dies After Collapsing Near Finish Line
Twenty-four-year-old Rachel Apa passed away following her first marathon appearance in New York City.
A 24-year-old runner participating in her first New York City Marathon died after collapsing in Central Park, just two miles short of the finish line. Rachel Apa was competing on Sunday as part of the Parkinson’s Champions team, running to honor the memory of her late grandfather.
Apa had spent months preparing for the 26.2-mile event. A former field hockey player at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, she was described by her father, Steve Apa, as having been in excellent health and physical condition prior to the race.
During the event, Apa was accompanied in New York by her mother, Michelle Apa, while her father tracked her progress remotely through a mobile application. A video captured by her mother showed the young runner smiling at the 14th mile of the course.
Concerns arose later in the race when Apa began sending text messages to her father indicating she was in pain. She texted "Ow" at mile 18, followed by "Ow, Ow" at mile 19. Although her father continued to send encouraging replies, she did not respond after the tracking app showed she had reached mile 23.
Apa collapsed in Central Park approximately two miles from the finish line. A spectator who is a hospital social worker rushed to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation alongside her fiancée while emergency responders hurried to the scene. Her mother also arrived after noticing a halt in her progress on the tracking application.
Emergency personnel transported Apa to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. Her father stated that the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a severe medical condition in which damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents directly into the bloodstream, potentially causing kidney damage and organ failure.
Data from the Cleveland Clinic indicates that approximately 26,000 individuals in the United States develop rhabdomyolysis annually. Her father described the sudden loss as unfathomable for her family and loved ones.
The tragic event has cast a sorrowful pall over the conclusion of the marathon. The last reported fatality during the New York City Marathon occurred in 2024, marking another somber moment for the annual endurance event.