Father’s desperate encouragement goes unanswered as NYC marathon runner dies 2 miles from finish line
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rachel Apa’s marathon tracker showed no movement for several minutes on Sunday afternoon, November 1, as her father watched anxiously from his phone.
The 24-year-old was taking part in her first New York City Marathon to raise money for a Parkinson’s charity when she collapsed in Central Park, just two miles short of the finish line.
She died later that night at Mount Sinai Medical Center, leaving her family struggling to understand how a young woman they considered healthy and athletic could lose her life during the race.
24 year old NYC Marathon runner Rachel Apa dies after collapsing in Central Park just two miles before the finish line during her first ever marathon https://t.co/a9cQFxq39l
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) November 3, 2026
Runner collapses two miles from finish line
Steve and Michelle Apa were both monitoring their daughter’s progress through the marathon app, but from different locations.
Michelle was in New York, while Steve followed the race from the family’s home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
When Rachel’s marker stopped moving around mile 24, they realized something was wrong.
The 24-year-old had already received emergency attention after collapsing in Central Park.
A spectator spotted her going down at around 1:30 p.m., prompting a bystander to begin CPR.
Race medical personnel soon arrived with a defibrillator and rushed her for treatment.
At Mount Sinai, doctors spent more than six hours trying to save Rachel.
She was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. Her father later described her as being in “perfect health, perfect shape” before the race.
The last messages between father and daughter now offer a painful account of how the race unfolded.
Steve had been texting Rachel at each mile to encourage her. Around mile 18, she replied with a brief “ow,” followed by another message a mile later repeating the word.
At mile 23, Rachel texted her father “final stretch.” She collapsed soon afterwards.
Earlier in the race, there had been little visible indication of trouble. Michelle had filmed her daughter at mile 14, where Rachel appeared to be smiling and running strongly.
NEW: She trained for months to run her first New York City Marathon in honor of her late grandfather. Just two miles from the finish line, she collapsed. Rachel Apa was only 24. She went down in Central Park during Sunday’s race and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died that night. Her father says she was in excellent health, and that doctors told the family the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a condition where extreme strain breaks down muscle tissue so fast it floods the body with proteins that can shut down the kidneys and stop the heart. Here’s what most people don’t know: you don’t need a medical checkup to run the New York City Marathon. Runners sign a waiver, and doctors’ visits are only recommended. Some countries, like Italy and France, require a medical certificate or health check before you can race. Should American marathons require a medical screening before runners can race?
— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) November 3, 2026
Rachel Apa’s father says doctors attributed her death to rare condition
Rachel had entered the New York City Marathon with a cause close to her heart.
She joined the Parkinson’s Champions team to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation in memory of her grandfather, who died from the disease in 2022.
The 24-year-old had spent months getting ready for the 26.2-mile challenge, which was her first marathon.
Beyond running, she was a Bucknell University graduate and had recently started an MBA programme at Charleston Southern University.
She had also played field hockey while studying at Bucknell.
Her father, Steve Apa, said rhabdomyolysis was responsible for her death.
The condition occurs when damaged muscle tissue breaks down rapidly, releasing substances into the bloodstream.
Strenuous physical activity can sometimes cause it, although officials have yet to publicly establish Rachel’s cause of death.
The marathon’s organizer, New York Road Runners, also acknowledged her death, saying it was “deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners” and offering condolences to her family and the running community.
