NYC Marathon Runner Said She ‘Never Felt Better’ Before Her Death, Father Speaks Out

A 24-year-old woman running her very first marathon in New York City over the weekend died after she collapsed two miles shy of the finish line.

Though Rachel Apa had been texting with family members while running the New York City Marathon, she collapsed near Mile 24 in Central Park.

According to her father, Steve Apa, his daughter died from rhabdomyolysis. Per the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis is a rare muscle injury and life-threatenting condition where your muscles break down. It usually occurs after an injury or excessive exercise.

“It’s unfathomable,” her father told the New York Times. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”

“She did everything she’s supposed to for the training up to the marathon,” her dad also told USA Today. “I remember her telling me, ‘Dad, this weekend’s my 18-mile run.’ So she was fully trained, fully prepared.”

Seven miles in, he added, she texted him saying, “Never felt better. I must have done the carb loading correctly for the first time.”

According to Steve, he was tracking her progress on the marathon app, sending her texts at every mile.

“I said, ‘This is your first marathon. Go easy. Don’t go out too fast,'” he recalled to USA Today, “And then, every mile, I would just text her the mile number.”

She had texted him “ugh” and “ow” at miles 18 and 19, respectively.

“I said, ‘go easy,’ and then I pinged her when she hit the 20th mile and she said, ‘ow,'” he added. Though she didn’t respond for the next three miles, the app showed she was still running. Then, her parents saw she had not moved past Mile 24.

Her father said Rachel’s mother — who was waiting close to the finish line — got there just as ambulances were leaving the scene, going with them to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Rachel was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m., after doctors tried for six hours to save her.

Her family shared with the Times that she was also a Division 1 field hockey player and athlete who had trained for months for the marathon. Rachel had just started an M.B.A. program at Charleston Southern University and was running to raise money for Parkinson’s disease, after her grandfather died from the condition.

“My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement,” she wrote on a fundraiser page. “Later in life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and I watched as the disease slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved so much. He passed away in 2022, but the lessons he taught me continue to drive me forward.”

“She was always full of life. Always a go-getter,” her father told USA Today. “She wasn’t one to sit around about anything, if it’s athletics or academics or just life in general.”