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24 year old Rachel. Apa ran the New York City Marathon for the first time. At the end of the race he collapsed on the ground and was taken to hospital where he died. His family reported that the rare rhabdomyolysis was suspected to be caused by strenuous exercise.
first time participantnew york city Marathon, fundraising for charitypennsylvania in young womanCentral Park He collapsed to the ground just 2 miles from the finish line and died after being taken to the hospital.
The New York City Police Department said Rachel is a 24-year-old woman from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. Rachel Apa sent a text message to her father, Steve, at the 19th mile of a 26.2-mile race on the 2nd. Steve Apa, who had only written “It Hurts, It Hurts”, collapsed at mile 24.
At around 1:33 pm that day, bystanders rushed to his rescue and two doctors immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him. Medical staff arrived seven minutes later with a defibrillator and he was taken by ambulance to Mount Sinai Medical Center at 1:50 p.m. Steve told the New York Times that his daughter died at around 9:40 pm. The cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle disease caused by strenuous exercise. This is caused by the rapid breakdown of muscle tissue and the release of substances that poison the body.
Apa’s parents followed their daughter’s progress through a race tracking APP throughout the game, and father and daughter exchanged messages during the race. NBC News reported that his father repeatedly told him to “don’t push it too hard”, but Appa responded around mile 9 that he had “never felt so good.” At mile 24, Steve and his wife Michelle discovered that their daughter was no longer moving. Michelle, who was at the scene at the time, arrived at the scene and screamed her daughter’s name, and emergency medical personnel took Appa to the hospital.
“It’s unimaginable,” Steve said. “She’s completely healthy and in great shape, and she’s only 24 years old.”
Apa is a native of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Innovation and Design with honors in May 2024, and works as a product manager for TE Connectivity, a major electronic component manufacturer. She is also studying for a master’s degree in business administration at Charleston Southern University and has been training for a marathon for months.
She is also taking part in a competition to raise funds for the Parkinson’s Foundation in memory of her grandfather, who passed away from Parkinson’s disease. The fundraising goal was originally set at $4,000, but $7,656.68 was raised, far exceeding expectations.
She also wrote on LinkedIn earlier this year: “My grandfather was one of my idols since childhood. He taught me to be active, to challenge limits, and to face challenges bravely. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I watched as the disease slowly took away the freedom of movement he once loved.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon’s track spanning the five boroughs (in the early years, the race was held only in Central Park). The number of finishers this year set a record of 61,000.
A spokesperson for the organizer, the non-profit organization New York Road Runners, expressed condolences for the unfortunate incident: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rachel after participating in Sunday’s race. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and the entire running community, and we offer our most sincere condolences.”
This is the first death related to the New York City Marathon since 2024, according to the New York Daily News. During the 2024 event, a 24-year-old man, whose identity was not disclosed, accidentally fell and died while watching the event from the window of his Brooklyn residence.
Research shows that the risk of death from heart failure in long-distance running has halved since the early 2000s, while death from rhabdomyolysis is even rarer. A 2025 study published by the Emory School of Medicine said the death rate among marathon runners due to heart problems is about 1 in 500,000. According to data from the Cleveland Clinic, about 26,000 people in the United States suffer from rhabdomyolysis each year, and long-distance runners and heavy trainers are among the high-risk groups.
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She collapsed near the 24th mile of the 26.2-mile race, with only 2 miles left before the finish line. Bystanders and medical staff at the scene quickly rescued him, but he was declared dead in the evening after being sent to Mount Sinai Hospital.
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Her father said that the cause of his daughter’s death was suspected to be rhabdomyolysis caused by strenuous exercise. This is a rare disease in which muscle tissue rapidly disintegrates and releases substances that can cause toxicity in the body.
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Apa competed in the competition to raise money for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation in memory of his grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease. The original fundraising goal was US$4,000, but they ultimately raised US$7,656.68.
