Rachel Apa’s first New York City Marathon ended just short of the finish line. The 24-year-old collapsed in Central Park near Mile 24 on Sunday, November 1, and died that night at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She had come to New York to run a race that carried a personal meaning, and her family followed her progress from several miles away. The distance between those ordinary updates and the emergency that followed is part of what makes the account so difficult to absorb.
A graduate of Bucknell University who lived in central Pennsylvania, Apa had traveled to New York to run with Parkinson’s Foundation Champions. She was honoring her grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease in 2022, and raising money for the foundation. Her race brought together two commitments: a demanding personal challenge and a public effort to support people affected by a disease that had changed her family’s life.
A collapse in Central Park
The medical emergency occurred around 1:30 p.m. near 85th Street, according to The New York Times. Spectators began CPR before New York Road Runners medical staff arrived and attempted to resuscitate her with a defibrillator. Paramedics then took her to the hospital. The response moved from bystanders to race medical staff and then emergency services, but the available reporting does not establish how quickly each step occurred or what caused the collapse.
Her parents followed the race from different places. Her mother, Michelle Apa, watched from Queens at Mile 14; her father, Steve Apa, tracked her progress from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, using the marathon app. He texted with his daughter as she ran, a small exchange that gave him a way to follow the race remotely. At Mile 18, she sent “Ow,” followed by “Ow ow” at Mile 19. She continued along the course but stopped replying. When the app showed her at Mile 23, Steve texted, “Final stretch.”
That last message now reads as an attempt to encourage a runner nearing the end of a long race. The app could show where Apa was, but it could not tell her family what was happening around her or why she had stopped responding. Michelle reached Central Park as an ambulance carrying Rachel was leaving, the Times reported. Steve said doctors worked for hours to save her; she was pronounced dead around 9:40 p.m. “It’s unfathomable,” he told the newspaper. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”
Cause of death under investigation
Steve told the Times that he understood his daughter’s death to be caused by rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream. It can cause serious kidney damage, and extreme exertion can trigger it, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That description offers possible medical context, but it should not be mistaken for a confirmed finding in Apa’s case. As of Tuesday, November 3, the city medical examiner was still investigating, and an official cause of death had not been established, according to CBS New York.
The distinction matters. A family’s understanding may reflect conversations or information available to them, while the medical examiner’s investigation is the process cited in the reporting for establishing an official cause. Until that process is complete, the reported possibility remains unconfirmed. The available details do not explain whether Apa had a prior health issue or what factors contributed to her collapse.
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 Monday, the organization said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends, and the entire running community.” The statement acknowledged a loss shared by people close to Apa and by the broader community gathered around the race, while offering no further details about the medical incident.
A run in her grandfather’s memory
Before race day, Apa described on her fundraising page how her grandfather shaped her relationship with sports. “He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement,” she wrote. The marathon was therefore not simply a first attempt at a demanding race; it was a way to carry forward something she associated with him.
Watching Parkinson’s reduce his mobility inspired her to support others affected by the disease. Apa said she hoped her first marathon would raise money and awareness “for research, better care, and a cure.” By 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, donations had passed her $4,000 goal and topped $28,000. The amount shows how her fundraising appeal continued to reach people after her death, though it cannot capture the full meaning of the effort to her family or the people the foundation serves.
What the loss leaves behind
A marathon is usually narrated through milestones: the start, the late miles, the finish. Apa’s story stops before that final marker, and the detail of her family’s messages makes the gap especially stark. This is more significant than it looks: the race was both a physical test and an act of remembrance, so the loss reaches beyond the event itself.
For readers following the case, the clearest account is also the most limited one. Apa collapsed late in the race, received CPR and emergency medical care, and died that evening; the city medical examiner had not established an official cause as of November 3. Her father’s account points to rhabdomyolysis, but the available reporting leaves the medical conclusion unresolved. If you’re working in this space, that distinction is a reminder to keep reported family understanding separate from confirmed findings, especially when an investigation is still open.
And yet, the purpose Apa gave the run remains plain in her own words. She wanted to honor her grandfather and help raise support for research, better care, and a cure. Donations had risen well beyond her stated goal by Tuesday afternoon. The finish line she didn’t reach became part of a story that her family, fellow runners, and donors will now carry forward. A profound loss.
Sean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men’s Health. He’s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen.
