Health1 min read

Young NYC Marathon runner collapses and dies two miles from finish line

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Rachel Apa collapsed in Central Park near mile marker 24, where a bystander initiated CPR before medical personnel arrived to transport her to the hospital. Prior to the incident, she had messaged her father about experiencing pain at miles 18 and 19 before texting "final stretch" near mile 23. While her father stated the cause was rhabdomyolysis triggered by overexertion, the official cause of death remains under investigation. Apa was a 2024 Bucknell University graduate working as a product manager at an industrial technology company.

Key points

  • Rachel Apa was competing in her first marathon to raise charitable funds for the Parkinso…: Rachel Apa was competing in her first marathon to raise charitable funds for the Parkinson's Foundation Champions in memory of her grandfather.
  • She had communicated with her father about feeling pain late in the course shortly before…: She had communicated with her father about feeling pain late in the course shortly before sending her final text near mile 23.
  • The 2024 Bucknell University graduate and former field hockey player had trained for mont…: The 2024 Bucknell University graduate and former field hockey player had trained for months prior to the race.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

A 24-year-old runner in the New York City Marathon collapsed and died just two miles from the finish line, despite being in "perfect health, perfect shape", her father has said.

Rachel Apa, from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, was running on Sunday with the Parkinson's Foundation Champions to raise money and honor her grandfather who had the disease, she said in a fundraising page.

It was Apa's first marathon, though she was an athlete and had trained for months, father Steve Apa told the New York Times.

She died from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition where muscles break down and poison the bloodstream, which can be brought on by overexertion, her father said.

Near mile marker 24, Apa collapsed in Central Park and a bystander performed CPR before race medical staff arrived, race organiser New York Road Runners told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

According to a New York Police Department statement, which did not name Apa, she was taken to hospital in critical condition.

She died that night. The city medical examiner's office said it is still investigating Apa's cause…

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