Rachel Apa, a resident of Lewisberry in Pennsylvania, participated in the New York Marathon on Sunday. She ran alongside participants of the Parkinson's Foundation to raise funds and pay tribute to her grandfather, who suffered from the disease.
According to information published on the fundraising page, the 24-year-old runner suddenly lost consciousness and died just three kilometers from the finish line. Her father told the New York Times that despite Rachel being in 'perfect health and excellent shape,' this was her first marathon, although she regularly exercised and had been training for months.
The cause of death was rhabdomyolysis—a rare condition where muscles break down and poison the blood, which can be triggered by excessive exertion. When the runner was approximately three kilometers from completing the marathon, she lost consciousness in Central Park. A bystander who was not participating in the race began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation before the medical team arrived, according to the New York Road Runners organization to CBS News.
The New York Police Department issued a statement that did not name Rachel. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition and passed away that evening. The death is currently under investigation by the city's medical examiner's office.
Around 29 kilometers into the run, The Times reported that Rachel sent a text message to her father with the word 'Ai,' and a little over a kilometer later, 'Ai ai,' before sending the message 'trecho final' at 37 kilometers.
New York Road Runners issued a statement received by CBS, expressing deep sorrow over Rachel's death after participating in Sunday's race. They conveyed their thoughts and sincere condolences to her family, friends, and the entire running community.
Rachel earned a degree in Business Administration in 2024 from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where she also played field hockey, according to her LinkedIn profile viewed by the BBC. Before the marathon, she wrote on the fundraising page about how much her grandfather meant to her, whom she was honoring with this run. She wrote: 'He was my role model in childhood and adolescence.' She added: 'He taught me to stay active, overcome my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement.'
She also shared that the man was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease: 'I watched as the disease slowly took away his freedom of movement, which he loved so much. The lessons he taught me continue to motivate me.'
This year, over 61,000 people participated in the New York Marathon, making it the third consecutive year that the world record for marathon participation has been broken.
