The dream of completing her first marathon ended in the most tragic fashion for Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old American who died last Sunday after collapsing when she was just over three kilometers from the finish line of the New York City Marathon. The runner, a native of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, had spent months preparing for a race that carried a deeply personal meaning for her.
Rachel wasn’t running solely for the sporting challenge of earning the finisher’s medal at the world’s premier marathon. She had decided to participate in the New York Marathon to honor her grandfather, who passed away in 2022 due to Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, she was part of the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions team, through which she raised funds to support research into this disease.
Former Bucknell University field hockey player, Rachel had recently begun a master’s program at Charleston Southern University and was balancing her studies with her professional pursuits.
The closing moments of her race were especially poignant. According to her father, Steve Apa, speaking to American media, Rachel had been sending him messages during the race. Around kilometer 29 she texted “Ow” (it hurts) and shortly after she again told him that she was in pain. However, she kept moving forward and, as she passed roughly kilometer 37, sent a final message: “Final stretch.”
A short while later, as she was traversing Central Park, she collapsed near kilometer 39. Several spectators began CPR, and the race medical staff arrived with a defibrillator. She was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she died that same night after hours of efforts to save her life.
Her father explained that doctors attributed the death to rhabdomyolysis, a serious complication that causes the breakdown of muscle tissue.
New York Road Runners, the club of runners that organizes the New York City Marathon, expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the young runner.
On social media there has been renewed controversy about whether a medical examination should be mandatory before signing up for a marathon. At present, to obtain the bib to run the 42.195 kilometers through the streets of New York, no fitness certificate is required.
