Rachel Apa died Sunday after collapsing in Central Park during the final two miles of her first New York City Marathon. She was 24.
Apa was running the 26.2-mile race for the Parkinson’s Champions team in honor of her late grandfather. Her family said she had signed up to honor him after he died in 2022 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The New York City Marathon drew 61,146 participants and set a world record for the largest marathon ever for the third consecutive year, but the celebration was shadowed by the rare death of a runner in the closing stretch of the race.
What happened on the course
According to the timeline shared by her family, Apa was still moving strongly earlier in the race. At the 14th mile, her mother recorded a video showing her beaming. Later, Apa texted “Ow” at the 18th mile and “Ow, Ow” at the 19th mile, then reached the 23rd mile before her father sent a message that read “Final stretch.”
Two miles from the finish line, Apa collapsed in Central Park. Michaela Nicholas and another person gave CPR at the scene before Apa was rushed to Mount Sinai. She died at 9:40 p.m.
A first marathon with a personal meaning
Apa’s run carried added significance because it came as part of the Parkinson’s Champions team. She had said of her grandfather: “My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement.”
Her father, Steve Apa, had described her as being in “perfect health, perfect shape” before the collapse. After her death, he called the loss “unfathomable.”
The New York City Marathon did not identify a cause of death in the information provided. What is clear is that a 24-year-old first-time marathon runner was so close to finishing one of the sport’s biggest races when tragedy struck. The article notes that the last death at the NYC Marathon happened in 2024.
