Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old runner taking part in her first New York City Marathon, died after collapsing near mile 24 in Central Park. The New York Road Runners, which organizes the race, said it was deeply saddened by the death of one of its runners after Sunday’s event.
Apa had spent months preparing for the marathon. A former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University, she was also raising money to fight Parkinson’s disease, which had claimed her grandfather. She had recently started an MBA program at Charleston Southern University and worked as a product manager at an electrical components company.
Her mother, Michelle Apa, had filmed her running through Queens at mile 14, smiling and wearing a green tank top. Her father, Steve Apa, followed her progress from the family’s home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. He said she replied “Ouch” at mile 18 and “Ouch, ouch” at mile 19, then stopped responding while continuing to run. He last sent her a message at mile 23: “Final stretch.”
Near mile 24, spectator Michaela Nicholas saw Apa go by and cheered her on. Seconds later, Apa fell. Nicholas, a hospital social worker, said she could not find a pulse. Several people took turns performing CPR as they waited for medical assistance, and Nicholas held Apa’s hand and told her she was not alone.
The race organizer said its medical team reached Apa and used a defibrillator. Fire Department paramedics said they made contact with her a few minutes after an ambulance arrived at 1:41 p.m. Nicholas said the response seemed to take an unacceptably long time. The organizer did not immediately answer questions about when its staff arrived and used the defibrillator.
Apa’s parents could see on the marathon tracking app that she remained at mile 24. Steve Apa said his wife went to the scene and arrived as the ambulance was leaving. She followed in another ambulance to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where doctors tried to save their daughter for more than six hours.
Steve Apa said the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down and releases substances that can damage organs. Emergency physician Bradley Uren of University of Michigan Health said the condition can be fatal if not treated quickly. Treatment may include intravenous fluids and, in severe cases of kidney injury, dialysis.
The New York Road Runners said the previous death of a marathon participant following a medical emergency occurred in 2024.
Sources: Folha Esporte.