Rachel Apa, 24, who was running the New York City Marathon for the first time on Sunday, Nov. 1, collapsed and died near the 24-mile mark in Central Park. Her father said doctors told him the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle is damaged. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet announced an official cause of death.
A 24-year-old woman running the New York City Marathon for the first time on Sunday, Nov. 1, collapsed and died at the 24-mile mark, about 2 miles from the finish line. Her father said doctors told him his daughter's cause of death was rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle is damaged, for example by excessive exercise, causing substances inside muscle cells to leak into the bloodstream.
Collapsed at Mile 24
The woman who died was Rachel Apa, 24, of Pennsylvania. According to NBC News, Apa collapsed at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, the 1st, near the 24-mile mark in Central Park. The NYPD said emergency responders took her to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, and she died several hours later.
New York Road Runners (NYRR), which organizes the race, said a bystander first performed CPR, and race medical staff then used an automated external defibrillator (AED).
"It hurts" Text… Father Says "It's Unbelievable"
Her father, Steve Apa, told NBC News that he was tracking his daughter's location through the race app from their home in Pennsylvania and exchanging text messages with her. At Mile 9, she said she was "feeling really good," but from around Mile 18 she began sending short replies such as "ouch." Her father replied, "Don't push too hard; finishing matters more than your time." After Mile 24, her location on the app stopped, and she no longer replied.
Her mother and friends were waiting at the 25-mile mark. Seeing that her location had stopped, they rushed to Mile 24, but she had already been taken to the hospital. Her father called what happened "unbelievable."
Apa was a former Bucknell University field hockey player who had recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she was pursuing an MBA and working remotely. She ran the race on behalf of the Parkinson's Foundation in honor of her grandfather, who died of Parkinson's disease.
Cause of Death Not Yet Officially Confirmed
The cause of death, rhabdomyolysis, is what the treating doctors told the family. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet announced an official cause of death.
What Is Rhabdomyolysis?
According to the Cleveland Clinic and other sources, rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle is rapidly damaged by excessive exercise, dehydration, heat, injury or other causes, releasing substances from the muscle into the blood and kidneys. In severe cases, it can lead to kidney damage or abnormal heart rhythms. Common symptoms include unusually severe muscle pain, a feeling of weakness and dark, cola-colored urine. Anyone who develops these symptoms after long-distance running or intense exercise should seek medical care immediately.
Experts advise first-time marathoners and long-distance racers to drink enough water, slow down or stop if pain persists, and use the race's medical tents.