A close friend of Rachel Apa, the 24-year-old runner who collapsed and died during the final stages of the 2026 New York City Marathon, has paid tribute to her as a fiercely determined and pᴀssionate athlete who inspired those around her.

Rachel Apa collapsed near Mile 24 in Central Park on November 1, just two miles from the finish line. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she later died. Her father has said the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and can release harmful substances into the bloodstream.

Isabella Pavlides, a 23-year-old pre-med student from New Jersey who first met Apa at a field hockey camp in 2018, described her former teammate and college roommate as someone who approached life with complete commitment. The two played forward together on the Bucknell University field hockey team and later became roommates.

“I always admired Rachel’s work ethic and the way she approached pretty much everything, especially with field hockey,” Pavlides told the New York Post. “She was so compeтιтive, and when she had her mind set on something… she put her whole heart into it and truly believed that she could get it done.”

Pavlides said Apa radiated confidence and had a way of encouraging others. As a freshman at Bucknell, she looked up to Apa like a big sister. “Her determination always inspired me… she always would speak life into me and make me believe that I could do anything.”

One of Pavlides’ favorite memories was their first night as roommates, when they stayed up making cookies and having a sleepover. The two remained close after college. Apa had recently moved to South Carolina to begin an MBA program at Charleston Southern University. The last time they saw each other was at Santa Con in New York the previous December.

Apa was running her first marathon to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease research in memory of her grandfather, who died from the illness in 2022. On LinkedIn she had written that he taught her to “stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges.”

Bucknell University remembered her as a four-year contributor to the field hockey team who scored 17 goals and earned Academic All-Patriot League honors. Charleston Southern University’s president described her as “a vibrant young woman in the prime of her life” whose final effort was marked by selfless dedication to helping others.

Rachel Apa’s death has left family, friends, and teammates mourning a young athlete known for her drive, kindness, and belief that she could achieve whatever she set out to do.