Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing in Central Park during the final Miles of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1. She was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she died later that evening without reaching the finish line.

Apa, a Bucknell University alumna who lived in central Pennsylvania, was running her first marathon with Parkinson’s Foundation Champions. She was raising money in memory of her grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease in 2022.

According to The New York Times, the emergency occurred around 1:30 p.m. near Mile 24, close to 85th Street. Spectators began CPR before New York Road Runners medical staff arrived and attempted to revive her with a defibrillator. Paramedics then transported her to the hospital, where doctors tried to save her for several hours. Her father, Steve Apa, told the newspaper she was pronounced dead around 9:40 p.m.

Her parents had been following her progress from different locations. Her mother, Michelle, watched her run through Queens at Mile 14, while her father tracked the race from their home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. He had been texting his daughter during the race and received messages from her at Miles 18 and 19, but no further replies. When the tracking app showed she had reached Mile 23, he sent her a message saying, “Final stretch.”

Steve Apa told The New York Times that he believed his daughter died from rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream. However, an official cause of death had not been established as of Tuesday, November 3. CBS New York reported that the city medical examiner was still investigating.

New York Road Runners said Apa’s death was the first runner death following a medical incident at the marathon since 2024. In a statement released Monday, the organization said it was deeply saddened and offered its sympathies to her family, friends and the running community.

Before the race, Apa wrote on her fundraising page that her grandfather had encouraged her to stay active and take on challenges. Seeing him lose mobility after his Parkinson’s diagnosis inspired her to support others affected by the disease and raise money and awareness for research, care and a cure. By noon Tuesday, the page had received more than $12,500 in donations, exceeding its $4,000 goal.

Sources: Runner's World.