Runner Rachel Apa Dies After Collapsing Near NYC Marathon Finish

Apa was running her first marathon when she collapsed near the finish in Central Park, around 1:30 p.m. on November 1. Spectators began CPR, and medical staff from race organizer New York Road Runners (NYRR) continued lifesaving efforts and used a defibrillator before paramedics took her to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Doctors worked to save her for about six hours; she died that evening.

Her father, Steve Apa, said doctors told the family she died of rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition in which damaged muscles release substances into the bloodstream. The city medical examiner’s office said it was investigating her death and that the cause had not been determined. NYRR also did not confirm a cause.

Apa’s father followed the race from Pennsylvania, while her mother, Michelle, watched her pass Mile 14 and later went to Central Park. Rachel had texted her father that she was hurting at Miles 18 and 19. He sent encouragement as she continued, but received no reply after she reached Mile 23. Her parents saw on the race-tracking app that she had stopped near Mile 24.

Apa, 24, was a former Bucknell University field hockey player, worked as a product manager and was pursuing an MBA. She ran with the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions team as a tribute to her grandfather, who succumbed to Parkinson’s disease in 2022. She had raised more than $8,000 toward a $4,000 fundraising goal.

NYRR said Apa was the first runner to die following a medical incident at the marathon since 2024. More than 61,000 participants finished this year’s race, organizers said.