Rachel Apa’s final miles in the New York City Marathon carried a mix of grit, pain, and heartbreak that stunned runners and spectators alike. The 24-year-old first-time marathoner collapsed near mile 24, just two miles from the finish, after sending troubling messages to her father during the race. What began as a powerful tribute to her grandfather ended in a tragedy that rippled through the running world.
Apa, a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University, had spent months training for the race. She joined more than 60,000 runners on Nov. 1 and looked strong early on, with her mother even catching her at mile 14 in Long Island City, where she smiled, waved, and handed out high-fives. From there, she kept moving toward Central Park, where her family thought the hardest part was nearly behind her.
Her father, Steve Apa, was tracking her progress from home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and texting encouragement as she ran. The messages started sounding grim at mile 18, when Rachel replied, “Ow.” One mile later, she texted, “Ow ow,” and then at mile 23, Steve sent, “Final stretch.” She never answered again.
By then, spectators near mile 24 had noticed her running in matching green shorts and a tank top, pushing through the stretch with only a short distance left. Michaela Nicholas, who was nearby, cheered her on and watched the moment turn bad in an instant. Seconds later, around 1:30 p.m., Apa collapsed in Central Park.
Nicholas rushed over and found that Apa did not have a pulse. After her fiancée called for a doctor, two people who said they were physicians stepped in and took turns performing CPR while Nicholas held Apa’s hand. Marathon medical staff arrived soon after, used a defibrillator, and paramedics followed with an ambulance, but the scene had already become desperate and chaotic.
Meanwhile, Michelle Apa realized her daughter had stopped moving on the tracking app and hurried to the location. She arrived just as the ambulance carrying Rachel was pulling away. Rachel was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where doctors continued trying to save her life for more than six hours before she was pronounced dead at about 9:40 p.m.
Her father later said the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare and dangerous muscle condition that can happen after severe exertion, dehydration, overheating, or intense exercise without enough rest. In plain terms, the muscles break down and release harmful substances into the bloodstream, which can damage the kidneys and poison the body. “It’s unfathomable,” he said. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”
Rhabdomyolysis, often called rhabdo, can start with weakness, stiffness, swelling, and muscle pain, then escalate to nausea, dehydration, and even loss of consciousness. A dark brown, red, or tea-colored urine can be a warning sign, and symptoms may show up one to three days after the injury. Doctors commonly urge athletes to stop when the body feels wrong, drink water, avoid overheating, and take breaks before the damage gets worse.
The New York Road Runners said the last marathon death linked to a medical incident happened in 2024, underscoring how rare but serious these emergencies can be. In a statement, the organization said, “We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends and the entire running community.”
Apa’s run had deeper meaning than a finish time or medal. She was working as a product manager for an electrical component company while pursuing her MBA at Charleston Southern University, and she had chosen to run for Parkinson’s disease research in honor of her late grandfather. On the fundraising page, she wrote that he was her role model, someone who taught her to stay active, push limits, and take on challenges with purpose.
She also wrote about watching Parkinson’s slowly take away the movement her grandfather once loved, and how his lessons kept driving her forward after his death in 2022. Apa raised more than $22,000 for the cause, and the story around her race kept circling back to that mission, even as the final stretch of the marathon became something no one there would forget anytime soon.
