A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman running her first New York City Marathon died Sunday after collapsing in Central Park about two miles from the finish. Her father says doctors blamed rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles break down.
Rachel Apa, of Lewisberry, ran with the Parkinson's Foundation in honor of her grandfather, who died of the disease. Police said emergency medical workers took her to Mount Sinai in critical condition, and she died there at 9:40 p.m.
My grandfather was one of my role models growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges
Rachel Apa, in a LinkedIn post
Her text messages with her father show how quickly the day turned. Around 11:30 a.m., at the 9-mile mark, she told him she felt amazing, and he cautioned her not to overdo it in her first marathon.
Her mother saw her race past at mile 14. A few miles later, her messages became short complaints of pain, and they continued at mile 20 as her father kept texting through mile 23, urging her to focus on finishing rather than speed.
A search near mile 24
Around 1:30 p.m., after one more text at mile 24, her father noticed that her location on the marathon tracking app had stopped moving. Her mother and two friends, waiting at mile 25, saw the same thing.
Her mother walked back toward the mile 24 marker, calling Rachel's name. An EMS worker still at the scene told her an ambulance had just taken her daughter to the hospital, then drove her to Mount Sinai in a second ambulance, her father said.
New York Road Runners, which organizes the race, said a bystander performed CPR before race medical staff took over and used a defibrillator. The group said the last time a participant died after a medical incident was in 2024.
We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race
New York Road Runners, race organizer
A lifelong athlete
Her father said she was in perfect health. She played Division I field hockey at Bucknell University and exercised regularly after graduating.
She had recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to start an MBA program at Charleston Southern University while working a full-time remote job.
Doctors told the family the diagnosis was extremely rare. The Cleveland Clinic describes rhabdomyolysis as a serious condition in which overexertion breaks down muscle, releasing toxic components into the bloodstream and kidneys.
