A 24-year-old New York City Marathon runner, Rachel Apa, died after collapsing in Central Park with two miles remaining in the race. Apa was participating in her first marathon as part of the Parkinson's Champions team, honoring her late grandfather who had battled the disease.
Her father, Steve Apa, told The New York Times that his daughter was in "perfect health, perfect shape." He recounted that Apa had texted him "Ow" at the 18-mile mark and "Ow, Ow" at the 19th mile. She stopped responding to messages after the 23-mile point.
A hospital social worker and her fiancee provided CPR at the scene after witnessing Apa collapse. She was transported to Mount Sinai hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. The cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscle tissue breaks down rapidly.
Approximately 61,146 participants completed this year's New York City Marathon, with the race setting a world record for the largest marathon for the third consecutive year. Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men's race, and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's race. The last recorded death at the NYC Marathon occurred in 2024.