A 24-year-old former college athlete died after collapsing near the end of the New York City Marathon, leaving her family devastated just hours after they had been following her progress through the race.
Rachel Apa, a former Bucknell University field hockey player, collapsed in Manhattan’s Central Park at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 1.
Despite immediate assistance from bystanders and several hours of medical treatment, Rachel was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Her father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that she died from rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition in which muscle tissue rapidly breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream.
“It’s unfathomable,” he said. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”
Heartbreaking final messages to her father
Rachel had spent months preparing for the marathon, which she was running to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Throughout the race, her parents followed her progress.
Her mother, Michelle, recorded video of Rachel smiling as she passed Mile 14 in Queens, while her father sent encouraging text messages from their hometown of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
But as Rachel approached the final miles, her messages became increasingly concerning.
At Mile 18, she responded to her father with a brief message: “Ow.”
A mile later, she wrote, “Ow ow.”
Her final message came at Mile 23, when she texted her father “final stretch.” He never heard from her again.
Meanwhile, Michelle was heading toward Central Park, expecting to watch her daughter complete the marathon.
Instead, she noticed that Rachel’s location on the race-tracking application had stopped updating around Mile 24.
She arrived at the scene as emergency responders were transporting her daughter to the hospital.
Bystanders rushed to help as runner collapsed
According to The New York Times, hospital social worker Michaela Nicholas was among the first people to reach Rachel after she collapsed.
Nicholas was unable to detect a pulse, and two physicians who were watching the marathon took turns performing CPR.
Nicholas also held Rachel’s hand so she would not be alone during the emergency.
Medical personnel from the New York Road Runners subsequently arrived with a defibrillator, followed by paramedics who transported Rachel to Mount Sinai.
Doctors continued trying to save her life for approximately six hours.
The New York Road Runners later issued a statement expressing condolences to her family and the running community.
Organizers confirmed that Rachel was the first participant to die during the New York City Marathon since 2024.
The race organizer also held the 2007 Olympic marathon trials in Central Park, where five-time U.S. national champion Ryan Shay died during the event.
Running in memory of her grandfather
Beyond athletics, Rachel was building her professional career while continuing her education.
She worked as a product manager for an electrical component company and was pursuing an MBA at Charleston Southern University.
Her participation in the marathon carried a particularly personal meaning.
Rachel was running in honor of her grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease in 2022.
In an online fundraising message, she explained how her grandfather had inspired her lifelong enthusiasm for physical activity.
“My grandfather was my role model growing up,” she wrote.
“He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement.”
She also described witnessing the disease gradually affect his ability to move.
“He passed away in 2022, but the lessons he taught me continue to drive me forward,” she wrote.
Rachel hoped her marathon participation would support research, improved care and efforts to find a cure.
What began as a personal tribute to the grandfather who inspired her ended in tragedy just miles before the finish line.
For her family, Rachel’s final race will be remembered not only for the heartbreaking circumstances of her death, but also for the cause she had chosen to support in memory of someone she deeply admired.
