NYC marathon participant dies after medical emergency in Central Park

Rachel Apa, age 24, was competing in her first marathon as part of the Parkinson’s Champions team, honoring her grandfather who passed away from Parkinson’s disease in 2022. She had previously been a field hockey player at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

“My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement,” Apa shared in a fundraising campaign.

Her father, Steve Apa, stated to the New York Times that his daughter was in excellent physical condition. Her mother, Michelle Apa, was present in New York City to support her.

According to her father, Apa texted him “Ow” around the 18-mile mark and “Ow, Ow” at the 19-mile mark during a period when he was encouraging her. She did not send any further messages, though her father sent a message of encouragement at the 23-mile mark, which went unanswered.

A spectator, hospital social worker Michaela Nicholas, and her fiancee, responded to Apa’s collapse and administered CPR. Apa’s mother also arrived at the scene after noticing a lack of progress on the marathon tracking app.

Emergency responders transported Apa to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. Her father confirmed the cause of death as rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition affecting muscles.

The Cleveland Clinic reports that approximately 26,000 cases of rhabdomyolysis occur annually in the United States.

The last previous death at the NYC Marathon occurred in 2024. This year’s marathon saw a record-breaking 61,146 finishers, marking the third consecutive year the event has set a world record for participation.

Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men’s race in 02:06:01, falling short of the 2023 record of 2:04:58 set by Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia. Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya, age 35, secured her second victory in the women’s race with a time of 2:24:36, having previously won in 2024.