Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old resident of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, died on Tuesday following a collapse during the New York City Marathon on Sunday. She was participating in the 26.2-mile race for the first time, having entered the event to raise funds for Parkinson's disease research in memory of her grandfather.
According to the New York Police Department, Apa collapsed in Central Park when she was approaching the 24-mile mark, which is just over two miles from the finish line. Her father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that she was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a rare medical condition in which muscle tissue breaks down during physical exertion, releasing substances that can poison the body.
New York Road Runners, the nonprofit organization that organizes the marathon, stated in a news release that bystanders immediately administered CPR to Apa. Event medical staff continued the resuscitation efforts and used a defibrillator before paramedics transported her to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Despite doctors' efforts to save her over several hours, she remained in critical condition until her death.
Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker who was watching the race, witnessed the incident. Nicholas recalled calling out an encouraging message to Apa when she passed. Approximately 15 yards further along the route, she saw Apa collapse. Nicholas said she tried to comfort the runner while two other spectators performed CPR, holding her hand and telling her she was loved.
"I just held Rachel's hand and talked to her and told her that she wasn't alone and that she's loved, and I prayed for her," Nicholas said by phone on Tuesday. She described the moment as deeply moving and tragic for those present at the course.
Apa was a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University, where she graduated in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation and design. During her time at the university, she scored a total of 17 goals for the field hockey team. Before the marathon, she worked as a product manager for an electrical component company and had recently begun a master's program at Charleston Southern University.
Her father described his daughter as being in "perfect health" prior to the race. "It's unfathomable," Steve Apa told The Times, expressing the shock felt by the family and friends who knew her as an active and passionate individual.
The race marked the 50th anniversary of the marathon's five-borough format. Early editions of the event were confined to Central Park, but the race has since expanded across the city. A record number of 61,000 runners reached the finish line on Sunday, making the day a celebration of endurance that was overshadowed by Apa's passing.
New York Road Runners expressed their deep sadness in a statement, extending their sincere sympathies to Apa's family, friends, and the broader running community. As news of her death spread on Tuesday, the public responded with an outpouring of support. Donations to her "Parkinson's Champions" fundraising page, sponsored by the Parkinson's Foundation, quickly exceeded her original goal of $4,000.
On the fundraising page, Apa wrote that her grandfather, who died in 2022 after battling Parkinson's disease, taught her to stay active and push her limits. Bucknell University and USA Field Hockey, the sport's governing body, both issued statements of condolence. USA Field Hockey noted that Apa's impact on the sport and those around her would not be forgotten, honoring her memory in the face of this tragic loss.
