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NYC Marathon runner Rachel Apa, 24, died from a rare muscle condition after collapsing near the finish line
A 24-year-old woman who tragically died after collapsing just two miles from the finish line of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, sent a series of text messages to her father in the miles leading up to her death. A condition known as “rhabdomyolysis” is expected to have played a role in her death.
Rachel Apa, a former college field hockey player who was running her first marathon, collapsed in Central Park around the 24-mile mark of the 26.2-mile race and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead later that evening.
NYC Marathon runner Rachel Apa, 24, died from rare muscle condition after collapsing near finish line
According to the New York Post, Apa’s father, Steve, was tracking her progress from the family’s home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and sending her messages of encouragement throughout the race.
At mile 18, Apa responded to her father with a simple message that read “Ow,” before following up with “Ow ow” at mile 19. As his daughter approached the final few miles of the marathon, Steve continued sending her encouraging messages, including one at mile 23 that read “Final stretch.” Apa, however, never responded.
Around mile 24, Apa collapsed in Central Park, prompting nearby spectators to rush to her aid. A hospital social worker who was watching the race discovered that Apa had no pulse, leading two doctors who were also in attendance to perform CPR until official medical personnel arrived on the scene with a defibrillator.
Apa was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors spent approximately six hours attempting to save her life before she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m.
According to her father, doctors attributed Apa’s death to rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal condition in which damaged muscle tissue rapidly breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream.
Rhabdomyolysis can occur following extreme physical exertion, including endurance events such as marathons, and can lead to severe kidney damage and other life-threatening complications. While Apa’s father has said doctors identified rhabdomyolysis as the cause of her death, an official medical examiner’s determination has not yet been publicly released.
“It’s unfathomable,” Steve Apa told The New York Times. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”
Her mother, Michelle, had been watching the race in person and filmed her daughter smiling as she passed the 14-mile mark in Queens. She later noticed that Rachel’s location had stopped moving on the marathon tracking app and rushed to Central Park, arriving as paramedics were loading her daughter into an ambulance.
Apa, who previously played Division I field hockey at Bucknell University, was participating in the marathon to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation in honor of her grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease in 2022.
Our thoughts are with Apa’s family, friends, and various loved ones during this difficult time.