Rachel Apa sent her father harrowing text messages just minutes before she collapsed during the New York City Marathon.
The 24-year-old former college field hockey player was pronounced dead at a New York hospital after collapsing in Central Park – not far from the finish line of Sunday’s race.
Her father, Steve, told the New York Times that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition that can be brought on by excessive exercise without rest.
During the race – her first marathon – Rachel remained in contact with her father, who was tracking her progress from home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
As detailed by the New York Times, Steve Apa sent his daughter text messages of support every mile. After she reached Mile 18, the 24-year-old replied: ‘Ow.’
Minutes later, at Mile 19, Rachel text her dad: ‘Ow ow.’ Over the next three miles, Steve’s messages went unanswered. At Mile 23, he reassured his daughter that she had reached the ‘final stretch’ but Steve never heard back. Around 1.30pm, Rachel collapsed.
Rachel Apa was running in Manhattan’s Central Park when she collapsed around 1:30pm (Source: Instagram/rachelapa)
Runners pass through Central Park as they compete in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon
‘It’s unfathomable,’ her father told the New York Times. ‘Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.’
A hospital social worker reportedly rushed to Apa’s aid but was unable to find a pulse, while two physicians from the crowd also performed CPR.
Marathon medical staff then arrived with a defibrillator, according to a statement by race organizer, the New York Road Runners (NYRR).
The paramedics followed quickly with an ambulance, which brought Rachel to Mount Sinai Medical Center. It was there that doctors tried to save her life for six hours before pronouncing her dead at 9.40pm.
‘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.’
Rhabdomyolysis, which affects around 0.0076 percent of the US population every year, causes muscles to break down and leads to ‘toxic components of muscle fibers’ entering the kidneys and the body’s circulation system.
Rachel’s mother, Michelle, had recorded footage of her smiling at Mile 14 and was waiting for her at Mile 25.
But she noticed on the marathon tracking app that her daughter was still further back in Central Park. Michelle arrived at the scene just as the ambulance was taking Rachel to the hospital. She followed in another ambulance shortly after.
The 24-year-old former Bucknell field hockey player was pronounced dead at 9:40pm
Following Rachel’s death, the NYRR confirmed she was the first runner to die during the New York City Marathon since 2024.
She had been working as a product manager for an electrical component company and was studying to get her MBA at Charleston Southern University. The 24-year-old was running to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation Champion in memory of her grandfather.
‘I watched as the disease slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved so much,’ she wrote on a fundraising page.
‘He passed away in 2022, but the lessons he taught me continue to drive me forward.’
