Runner dies near finish line

Rachel Apa, 24, died on Sunday afternoon while running the New York City Marathon. Her father, Steve Apa, confirmed to NBC News that she suffered a medical episode near mile marker 24 in Central Park. Emergency medical workers transported her to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, where she died hours later.

Steve Apa tracked his daughter’s progress via a mobile app from his home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. He exchanged text messages with Rachel throughout the race. At the 9-mile mark, she wrote, “Hey, go.” She followed up by saying, “I feel amazing,” and added, “I’ve never felt this good.” Steve cautioned her not to overdo it, reminding her that it was her first marathon and a learning run.

The conversation shifted as the race progressed. Around the 18-mile mark, Rachel texted, “Ugh.” When Steve noted she had beaten the 18-mile marker, she replied, “Ow, ow.” She sent the same message again at mile 20. At mile 23, Steve advised, “All finish, not speed.” His final text arrived at mile 24, around 1:30 p.m., just before her location on the tracking app stopped moving.

Michelle Apa, Rachel’s mother, was running alongside two of Rachel’s friends. She saw Rachel pass at the 14th mile. When Michelle and the friends reached mile 25, they noticed Rachel’s location had halted. Michelle called Steve, who instructed her to find their daughter. Michelle began yelling Rachel’s name near the mile 24 marker. An EMS worker on scene told her an ambulance had just taken Rachel to the hospital. That worker then drove Michelle to Mount Sinai in a second ambulance.

New York Road Runners, the marathon organizer, stated that a bystander administered CPR before medical staff arrived. The organization’s medical team then used a defibrillator on Rachel. Doctors later informed the family that Rachel died of rhabdomyolysis. The Cleveland Clinic describes this as a serious condition where muscle breakdown releases toxic components into the bloodstream and kidneys. Doctors called the diagnosis extremely rare.

Rachel was a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University. She recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to pursue an MBA while working a full-time remote job. She ran the marathon for the Parkinson’s Foundation to honor her grandfather, who died of the disease. In a LinkedIn post, she wrote that her grandfather taught her to stay active and push her limits. Steve Apa said he never asked her why she chose that cause, but he knew she witnessed how debilitating the disease was for her grandfather.

Steve described Rachel as always being on the go. He said she played field hockey at the university level and exercised regularly after graduating. Steve and Michelle are now back in Pennsylvania. Their two sons are trying to work through the events of the day. The family is processing the loss of a lifelong athlete who died before crossing the finish line of her first marathon.