NEW YORK — A 24-year-old runner died after collapsing near Mile 24 of Sunday's New York City Marathon, race organizers and her family said.
Rachel Apa, a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University, was running her first marathon when she went down in Central Park, about two miles from the finish line.
What Happened
New York Road Runners said a bystander began CPR, and the organization's medical staff then took over, continued CPR and used an automated external defibrillator. EMS took Apa to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where lifesaving efforts continued before she died.
"We are deeply saddened by Rachel's passing following running in Sunday's race," the organization said in a statement. "Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with her family, friends, and the entire running community."
New York Road Runners told The New York Times that the last time a runner died after a medical incident at the marathon was in 2024.
The Cause
Apa's father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscle breaks down and releases its contents into the bloodstream faster than the kidneys can clear them. He described his daughter as being in "perfect health, perfect shape" and called her death "unfathomable," according to NBC News.
Everything known so far about the cause comes from the family. The medical examiner has not released an official cause of death, Men's Journal reported. The family has not said what led to the condition.
Who She Was
Apa was a lifelong athlete who played field hockey at Bucknell and kept up her training after graduating. Her father said she had trained for months for the race.
Her mother, Michelle, and two of Apa's friends spent Sunday following her across the five boroughs. Steve Apa followed her progress on the marathon tracking app from the family's home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and texted her at each mile. A spectator saw Apa collapse at about 1:30 p.m., her father said. Her two brothers, he said, are "trying to work through it."
Running for Her Grandfather
Apa ran for the Parkinson's Foundation's Champions team to honor her grandfather, who died of Parkinson's disease in 2022.
"My grandfather was one of my role models growing up," she wrote on her fundraising page. "He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges."
Her page had raised more than $5,400 as of Tuesday, above its $4,000 goal, according to Marathon Handbook.