Runner dies after collapsing near finish of New York City Marathon

Rachel Apa, from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed in Central Park near the 24-mile mark of Sunday’s race, about two miles from the finish. She was taken to hospital, where she died that night.

Race organiser New York Road Runners said a bystander gave Apa CPR before event medical staff took over and used a defibrillator.

Her father, Steve Apa, told NBC News that doctors had told the family she died of rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream. The city medical examiner’s office said on Tuesday that it was still investigating her cause of death.

Apa was running her first marathon to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation in memory of her grandfather, who had the disease. On her fundraising page, she described him as a role model who had encouraged her love of sport and movement.

She graduated from Bucknell University in 2024 and had played on its field hockey team. Donations to her fundraiser exceeded its $4,000 goal after news of her death, the Associated Press reported.