Rachel Apa, 24, collapsed in Central Park just over 3 km from the finish line on her first marathon. She was running to raise funds for Parkinson's.
A 24-year-old woman from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed in Central Park during her first New York City Marathon and later died, roughly three kilometres short of the finish line.
Rachel Apa was competing in last weekend's race to raise money for Parkinson's research when she went down, according to the New York Police Department. The city's medical examiner's office said it was looking into the cause of death.
Her father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that she had rhabdomyolysis, an uncommon condition in which muscle tissue breaks down under exertion and releases substances that can harm the body. He said it was her first marathon.
New York Road Runners, the nonprofit that organises the event, said in a release that a bystander began CPR on Apa, and that medical staff attached to the race also performed CPR and used a defibrillator. Paramedics transported her to a hospital, where she could not be saved.
Apa worked as an industrial-technology product manager and had played field hockey in college. She ran the race in honour of her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease, to raise funds for the cause.
"It's unfathomable," her father told the paper, describing his daughter as having been in "perfect health".
Michaela Nicholas was watching the race and cheering runners whose names she could make out from their bibs when Apa went past. Nicholas, speaking on Tuesday local time, said she shouted encouragement and then saw Apa collapse about 15 metres further along the course.
Nicholas, a hospital social worker, said she tried to comfort Apa while two other spectators carried out CPR.
"I just held Rachel's hand and talked to her and told her that she wasn't alone and that she's loved, and I prayed for her," Nicholas, a clinical social worker, said by phone.
The death came as the marathon marked 50 years in its five-borough format. Earlier editions were run only within Central Park. A record 61,000 runners completed the race.
"We are deeply saddened by Rachel's passing following running in Sunday's race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with her family, friends and the entire running community," New York Road Runners said.
As news of Apa's death circulated on Tuesday, donations flooded her "Parkinson's Champions" fundraising page, pushing it past her $4,000 target. The fundraiser was sponsored by the Parkinson's Foundation.
On the page, Apa wrote that her grandfather, who died in 2022, "taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement".
Apa worked for TE Connectivity, which makes electrical components and electronics. The company was dealing with the news on Tuesday and offered condolences. Bucknell University, where Apa graduated in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation and design and scored 17 goals for the field hockey team, also expressed grief.
USA Field Hockey said on social media that "Rachel's impact on the sport and those around her will not be forgotten".
