A 24-year-old runner and former college field hockey player died after collapsing near the finish of Sunday’s New York City Marathon, authorities and her family said.
Rachel Apa fell in Manhattan’s Central Park at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to The New York Times. Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker who was nearby, ran to help and could not find a pulse. Two physicians in the crowd took turns performing CPR, Nicholas told the newspaper.
Medical personnel from the New York Road Runners, the race’s organizing body, soon arrived with a defibrillator, according to a statement from the organization. Paramedics followed with an ambulance and transported Rachel to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Doctors continued trying to revive her for six hours before she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m., her father said.
Rachel’s father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that she died from rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which skeletal muscle rapidly breaks down and releases harmful substances into the bloodstream.
‘It’s unfathomable,’ Steve told the Times. ‘Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.’
‘We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race,’ the Road Runners said in a statement. ‘Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends, and the entire running community.’
Rachel Apa was running in Manhattan’s Central Park when she collapsed around 1:30pm
The 24-year-old former Bucknell field hockey player was pronounced dead at 9:40pm
The Bucknell University graduate had spent months preparing for the marathon, which she entered to raise funds for the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions program.
Her mother, Michelle, was there on race day and captured video of Rachel smiling at Mile 14 in Queens. Rachel also exchanged text messages with her father, who was at home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, sending words of encouragement, according to The New York Times.
Steve received a short reply from Rachel at Mile 18.
‘Ow,’ she wrote, followed by ‘Ow ow’ a mile later.
At Mile 23, Rachel sent one final message: ‘final stretch.’ Steve did not hear from her again.
Nicholas told the Times that she held Rachel’s hand after the collapse, wanting the runner to know she was not alone.
At the same time, Michelle was making her way to Central Park, expecting to see her daughter complete the race. She realized something was wrong when the marathon tracking app showed Rachel had stopped at Mile 24.
Michelle reached the area just as Rachel was being taken to the hospital by ambulance. She followed soon afterward in another ambulance.
Runners pass through Central Park as they compete in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon
The NYRR said Rachel was the first runner to die during the New York City Marathon since 2024. In 2007, Ryan Shay, a five-time U.S. national champion, died in Central Park while competing in the Olympic marathon trials, held by the NYRR one day before that year’s New York City Marathon.
Rachel worked as a product manager for an electrical components company and was pursuing an MBA at Charleston Southern University. She chose to run in support of Parkinson’s research after the disease claimed her grandfather’s life in 2022.
‘My grandfather was my role model growing up,’ Rachel wrote online. ‘He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement. Later in life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and I watched as the disease slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved so much. He passed away in 2022, but the lessons he taught me continue to drive me forward.
‘I’m proud to run with Parkinson’s Foundation Champions to raise funds and awareness for research, better care, and a cure.’
