A woman in her 20s died at the New York Marathon... Cause of death: rhabdomyolysis

A woman in her 20s who participated in the New York City Marathon collapsed and died during the race.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 3rd (local time), Rachel Apa (24), who participated in the New York City Marathon held on the 1st, suddenly collapsed near Central Park during the race and was taken to the hospital, but eventually died. It was about 3.6km before the finish line.

The cause of death revealed by the deceased's father was rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a disease in which toxic substances are released into the body when muscles are damaged due to intense exercise. In severe cases, it can cause complications such as acute kidney damage, which can be life-threatening.

Apa is said to have maintained a healthy physical condition, including playing field hockey in a top-tier college sports league during his college days.

This was my first marathon attempt. I participated in the competition to raise donations to related organizations in memory of my grandfather who passed away from Parkinson's disease.

The New York City Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons, with more than 60,000 people participating this year.

In Korea, a woman in her 20s collapsed during the '2026 Seoul Run' marathon held in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 11th of last month and died the next day.