24-year-old runner dies two miles from the finish of the New York Marathon

New York Marathon participant Rachel Apa collapsed in Central Park at the 24-mile mark and died the same night. According to her father, the cause was rhabdomyolysis — a rare condition in which muscle breakdown poisons the blood. The medical examiner's investigation is ongoing.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 4 November 2026 at 09:223 min read

The key facts

24-year-old Rachel Apa collapsed at mile 24 of the marathon in Central Park and died the same night
Her father named rhabdomyolysis as the cause; the city medical examiner has not completed the investigation
The marathon set a world record for the number of participants for the third year in a row — more than 61,000 people

Death at mile 24

24-year-old Rachel Apa of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed at the 24-mile mark of the New York Marathon in Central Park — roughly two miles from the finish. According to the race organizer New York Road Runners, relayed to the BBC by partner CBS News, a bystander began CPR before the marathon medical team arrived. The New York Police Department said the woman was taken to hospital in critical condition; she died the same night. Her name was not given in the police statement, and the deceased's identity is confirmed through her father and a fundraising page, which are reported by BBC News.

What is known about the cause of death

The runner's father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that his daughter died of rhabdomyolysis — a rare condition in which muscle breakdown poisons the bloodstream; it can be caused by excessive exertion. According to him, his daughter was 'in perfect health, in perfect shape'; it was her first marathon, although she had been athletic and had trained for several months. There is no official conclusion yet: the city medical examiner's office said the investigation into the cause of death is ongoing.

Her final messages

The New York Times, cited by the BBC, gives details of the correspondence: at mile 18, Apa sent her father the message 'Ow', a mile later 'Ow ow', and at mile 23 she wrote 'final stretch'. After that she collapsed in Central Park.

Who Rachel Apa was and why she ran

Apa ran as part of the Parkinson's Foundation Champions team to raise funds and honor the memory of her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease. On the fundraising page she wrote that her grandfather was her role model: 'he taught me to stay active, go beyond my limits and take on challenges.' In 2024 she graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania with a business degree, where she played field hockey, and then worked as a product manager at an industrial technology company. New York Road Runners expressed condolences to the family and the running community.

Context of the record-setting race

More than 61,000 people took part in this year's New York Marathon, and for the third year in a row it set a world record as the largest marathon. The death of a participant on the course occurred against the backdrop of this record scale of the race; the final cause of death will remain unknown until the medical examiner's investigation is complete.