Rachel Apa, 24, Dies After Collapsing During New York City Marathon
Rachel Apa died after collapsing during her first marathon, with her father identifying a rare muscle condition as the cause and reports differing on her distance from the finish.
By Hushread Stories, from 8 outlets · First published 3 Nov 2026
In brief
- Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing during her first New York City Marathon on Sunday.
- She was running to raise money for Parkinson's disease research when she collapsed in Central Park.
- Her father shared final text messages she sent during the race before she collapsed.
- Her father identified the cause as rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle condition that exertion can trigger.
- Reports disagree about her distance from the finish, describing two kilometers, two miles or just meters.
Timeline · 4 moments
Family identifies rare muscle condition as cause of death
New York Post ↗Report places Apa's collapse inside Central Park
NYT Health ↗Father shares final texts sent during the marathon
NBC News ↗Report identifies Apa's first marathon as a charity run
The Daily Beast Latest Articles ↗How it started
Rachel Apa, 24, was taking part in her first marathon on Sunday. She died before crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon, according to NBC News.
She was running to raise money for Parkinson's disease research, The Daily Beast Latest Articles reported.
How it unfolded
Reports published on November 3 described messages Apa sent to her father during the race. NBC News reported that her father shared her final texts, while World News Headlines, Latest International News, World Breaking News - Times of India News quoted the words "Ow, ow" in its headline.
Apa collapsed in Central Park, according to NYT Health. Accounts differ on how close she was to finishing: Adnkronos - ultimoratop reported two kilometers, The Daily Beast Latest Articles reported two miles, and La Nacion described her as meters from the finish.
Adnkronos - ultimoratop reported that she died in hospital. The supplied reports do not give a detailed account of the treatment she received after collapsing.
Where it stands
Apa's father identified the cause as rhabdomyolysis, according to NYT Health, which described it as a rare muscle condition that can be brought on by exertion.
The New York Post also reported rhabdomyolysis as the cause, attributing the disclosure to her family, who described her as having been in "perfect health." The supplied coverage does not include a separate medical finding or an announcement of changes to race safety procedures.
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