Rachel Apa died after collapsing two miles from the finish line in the Rachel Apa Marathon on Sunday, bringing a heartbreaking end to her first attempt at the 26.2-mile race in New York City.
The 24-year-old had been running in honor of her late grandfather, who died in 2022 after battling Parkinson’s disease. She was part of the Parkinson’s Champions team, and her family said the race carried deep personal meaning.
Her father, Steve Apa, described her as being “in perfect health, perfect shape.” But the final miles told a different story. At the 14th mile she was recorded beaming in a video sent by her mom, before later texting “Ow” at the 18th mile and “Ow, Ow” at the 19th mile. When her father texted “Final stretch” after she reached the 23rd mile, she did not respond.
What happened in Central Park?
Rachel Apa collapsed in Central Park and CPR was given at the scene before she was rushed to Mount Sinai. She died at 9:40 p.m. on Sunday.
That sequence is what makes this such a devastating story. She was so close to finishing, yet the race moved from celebration to crisis in a matter of miles.
A race with record scale and a tragic ending
The New York City Marathon drew 61,146 participants this year, breaking the world record for the largest marathon ever for the third consecutive year. It was also the latest in a series of major race moments that had already underlined the event’s scale and prestige.
Tamirat Tola set the marathon record time of 2:04:58 in 2023, while Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race in New York in 2024. But for Rachel Apa and her family, the numbers will never matter as much as the final outcome.
Steve Apa called the news “unfathomable,” and that is the only word that seems to fit. A first marathon, run for family and remembrance, ended with a loss that will be felt far beyond New York City.
For the Apa family, the race was supposed to be a tribute. Instead, it became a tragedy that will be remembered long after the finish line celebration faded.
