A young woman from Pennsylvania participating for the first time in the New York Marathon to raise money for a charity collapsed in Central Park, just over three kilometers from the finish line, and later died.
Rachel Apa, 24, from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, was approaching the 38-kilometer mark of the 42.195-kilometer race on Sunday when she collapsed, according to the New York Police Department.
The city's medical examiner's office indicated on Tuesday that it was investigating the cause of Apa's death.
Her father told The New York Times that she had suffered from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles can break down during exertion, poisoning the body. It was her first marathon, noted Steve Apa.
Among the substances released is myoglobin, a protein that, at certain concentrations, can cause significant kidney damage. Rhabdomyolysis can also lead to electrolyte imbalances and other potentially fatal complications.
New York Road Runners, the nonprofit club that organizes the race, stated in a press release that a person at the scene performed CPR on Apa, and that the event's medical staff did the same, in addition to using a defibrillator.
Paramedics arrived and transported Apa to a hospital, but they could not save her.
Apa, a product manager in industrial technology and a former college field hockey player, had run to raise funds to support Parkinson's disease care in honor of her grandfather.
"It's inconceivable," her father told the newspaper. He mentioned that his daughter, who had just started a master's program at Charleston Southern University, was in "perfect health."
Michaela Nicholas was watching the race and cheering for any runner whose name she could recognize on their bib. Suddenly, she saw Apa pass by.
Nicholas recalled on Tuesday that she shouted a message of encouragement and saw Apa collapse about 14 meters ahead on the course.
Nicholas, a social worker at a hospital, said she tried to comfort Apa while two other spectators performed CPR on her.
"I just held Rachel's hand and talked to her, telling her she wasn't alone and that she was loved, and I prayed for her," Nicholas, a clinical social worker, said over the phone.
The death occurred while the marathon was celebrating 50 years in its five-borough format. The early editions of the race were only run in Central Park. A record number of 61,000 runners reached the finish line.
"We are deeply saddened by Rachel's passing after running in Sunday's race. We send our thoughts and heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the entire running community," New York Road Runners stated in their release.
As news of Apa's death spread on Tuesday, donations began to pour into her fundraising page "Parkinson's Champions," quickly surpassing her goal of $4,000. The fundraising was sponsored by the Parkinson's Foundation.
On the page, Apa wrote that her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease and died in 2022, "taught me to stay active, to push my limits and take on challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement."
Apa worked for TE Connectivity, which manufactures various electrical and electronic components. The company stated that it was processing the news on Tuesday and expressed its condolences. Bucknell University, where Apa graduated in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation, and design — and a total of 17 goals for the university's field hockey team — also expressed condolences.
USA Field Hockey, the governing body of the sport, stated on social media that "Rachel's impact on the sport and those around her will not be forgotten."