NYC Marathon runner Rachel Apa died from rare rhabdomyolysis, which causes muscles to disintegrate and poison the blood

Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old woman from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, died on November 1, 2026, after collapsing during the final stages of the New York City Marathon in Central Park. She was about two miles from the finish line when she collapsed and later passed away at Mount Sinai Medical Center despite medical attempts to save her life.

Apa, a former Division I field hockey player for Bucknell University, had been training extensively for months before the marathon. Her father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that his daughter was in perfect health prior to the event and had trained rigorously with him leading up to the race. Rachel was participating to honor her late grandfather, who battled Parkinson's disease.

The cause of death was identified as rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition linked to excessive physical exertion, according to her father Steve Apa. This serious medical condition causes muscles to break down, releasing toxic components into the bloodstream and affecting kidney function.

Apa had been texting her father shortly before collapsing, indicating that she was experiencing pain during the race. A bystander administered CPR, and event medical staff also performed CPR and used a defibrillator, but these efforts were unsuccessful in saving Apa’s life.