NEW YORK A 24-year-old runner who spent months preparing for her first New York City Marathon died after collapsing in Central Park on Sunday, roughly two miles from the finish line. Rachel Apa was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital late that night, according to her father, who shared the family’s account with the New York Times.
Apa, a former field hockey player at Bucknell University from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, was racing with the Parkinson’s Champions team in honor of her late grandfather, who fought the disease before his death in 2022. On her fundraising page, she wrote: “My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement.”
Her father, Steve Apa, told the Times his daughter had trained for months and was in “perfect health, perfect shape.” The last sign of trouble he described was a two-word text from mile 19: “Ow ow.” The Independent reported the detail, citing the family’s interviews.
The collapse came near mile 24 at about 1:30 in the afternoon. Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker watching the race, ran to Apa and could not find a pulse, she told the Times. Three spectators took turns performing CPR until marathon medical crews arrived with a defibrillator, according to broadcast reporting carried by CNY Central.
Her parents had been tracking her location when it stalled near mile 24 for several minutes. Her mother hurried to the scene and saw an ambulance pulling away. Doctors at Mount Sinai worked for more than six hours before Apa was pronounced dead at about 9:40 that night. Her father described the loss as “unfathomable.”
The family said doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases harmful proteins into the bloodstream. The Cleveland Clinic estimates about 26,000 people in the US develop the condition each year. The city’s medical examiner has not settled the question; an initial autopsy was inconclusive on Tuesday, with further testing underway, the Chicago Tribune reported.
A Breaking911 post recounting her story has drawn more than 7,800 likes since Sunday night. Runners have been sharing her fundraising page alongside it. The tragedy also echoes one of the year’s most-shared moments from the sport, when a Boston Marathon runner crawled the final half mile after her legs failed rather than stop.
New York Road Runners, the organization behind the race, said it was “deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race.” Its statement continued: “Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends, and the entire running community.” The last runner death tied to a medical incident at the event came in 2024, the organization said.
The disease Apa ran to honor has touched readers before. A viral video showing a Parkinson’s patient’s tremors easing after a drop of cannabis oil circulated widely last year. Apa had trained for months to cover 26.2 miles in her grandfather’s name. She made it 24.
