A promising young athlete collapsed in the final miles of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon and later died from a rare but serious medical condition, leaving her family and the running community in shock. Rachel Apa, 24, of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, fell to the ground near Mile 24 in Central Park on Sunday, November 1, just two miles short of the finish line.

Apa had been running steadily through the five boroughs when the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. A spectator standing near the course, hospital social worker Michaela Nicholas, called out encouragement as the runner in green with bib number 29977 and the name “Rachel” pᴀssed by. Moments later, Apa collapsed. Nicholas rushed over, could not detect a pulse, and held her hand while telling her she was not alone. Her fiancée called for medical help. Several bystanders, including two who identified themselves as physicians, began CPR. Race medical personnel arrived, used a defibrillator, and paramedics transported Apa to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Doctors there worked for more than six hours, but she was pronounced ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at approximately 9:40 p.m.

Her father, Steve Apa, had been following her progress on the marathon tracking app from their home in Pennsylvania and sending encouraging messages at each mile. At Mile 18 she replied “Ow.” At Mile 19 she texted “Ow ow.” She continued moving through Miles 20–22 without responding to further messages. Around Mile 23 her father sent “Final stretch.” She did not reply. He later described the tragedy as “unfathomable,” emphasizing that his daughter had been in “perfect health, perfect shape.”

According to her father, medical staff determined the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, commonly known as “rhabdo.” In this condition, skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and releases substances such as the protein myoglobin and potᴀssium into the bloodstream. These can overload the kidneys, leading to renal failure, and disrupt the heart’s electrical system, potentially causing fatal arrhythmias or cardiac arrest. Intense or prolonged physical exertion is a recognized trigger, though the condition remains relatively uncommon.

Rachel Apa was a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University and had recently started an MBA program at Charleston Southern University. She worked as a product manager and was known by those close to her as energetic and always active. She chose to run the New York City Marathon as part of the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions team to raise funds in honor of her late grandfather, who had died from Parkinson’s disease. In a LinkedIn post she wrote that he had been one of her role models and had taught her to stay active, push her limits, and embrace challenges.

This was her first marathon. She had trained for months in preparation. Her mother, Michelle Apa, had been waiting near the finish area and hurried to the scene when she learned something was wrong, arriving as the ambulance was preparing to leave. New York Road Runners, the race organizer, issued a statement expressing deep sadness and offering sympathies to Apa’s family, friends, and the broader running community. The organization noted that the previous runner death linked to a medical incident at the event had occurred in 2024.

The case has drawn attention to the fact that even young, highly trained athletes can face rare but life-threatening complications during extreme endurance events. Rhabdomyolysis can develop when muscle fibers break down under severe stress, and early symptoms may be subtle or mistaken for ordinary fatigue. Treatment typically involves aggressive intravenous fluid support to protect the kidneys, though outcomes depend on how quickly the condition is recognized and addressed.

Rachel Apa’s death has left her family grieving the sudden loss of a young woman who appeared to be in peak physical condition and was running for a cause close to her heart.