Woman, 24, dies in NY marathon as father reveals she had rare condition

A young Pennsylvania woman running the New York City Marathon for the first time to raise money for charity collapsed in Central Park, just over 3 kilometres from the finish line, and later died.

Rachel Apa, 24, of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, was approaching the finish line in last weekend's event when she collapsed, according to the New York Police Department. The city medical examiner's office said it was investigating the cause of Apa's death.

Her father told The New York Times that she had been stricken with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles can break down during exertion, poisoning the body. It was her first marathon, Steve Apa said.

New York Road Runners, the nonprofit club that stages the race, said in a news release that a bystander administered CPR to Apa, and event medical staffers also did CPR and used a defibrillator. Paramedics arrived and took her to a hospital but were unable to save her.

Apa, an industrial-technology product manager and former college field hockey player, had run to raise money for Parkinson's disease in honour of her grandfather.

"It's unfathomable," her father told The Times. He said his daughter had been in "perfect health".

Michaela Nicholas was watching the race, cheering on any runners whose names she could discern from their bibs, when Apa passed. Nicholas recalled on Tuesday, local time, that she called out a message of encouragement, then saw Apa collapse about 15 metres further along the route.

Nicholas, a hospital social worker, said she tried to comfort Apa while two other race spectators performed 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 occurred as the marathon marked 50 years in its five-borough format. Early editions of the race had been run only in Central Park. A record 61,000 runners reached the finish line.

"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 in its statement.

As word of Apa's death spread on Tuesday, money poured into her "Parkinson's Champions" fundraising page, quickly exceeding her $4,000 goal. The fundraiser was sponsored by the Parkinson's Foundation.

On the page, Apa said her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease and 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 various electrical components and electronics. The company was grappling with the news on Tuesday and expressed condolences. So did Bucknell University, from which Apa graduated in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation and design — and a total of 17 goals for the school's field hockey team.

USA Field Hockey, the sport's governing body, said on social media that "Rachel's impact on the sport and those around her will not be forgotten".