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24-year-old runner Rachel Apa collapses, dies during NYC Marathon
Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing during her first New York City Marathon. Apa collapsed while nearing the finish line and could not be resuscitated. FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers reports.
NEW YORK - A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman collapsed and died during her first New York City Marathon over the weekend, leaving loved ones and the bystanders who rushed to comfort her heartbroken.
Rachel Apa, a former Division 1 field hockey player at Bucknell University who was living in Pennsylvania, was nearing the final stretch of Sunday's race when she collapsed suddenly on the course.
She was a standout athlete who maintained a very healthy lifestyle, working as a manager for an electrical component company while pursuing her MBA. She was running the marathon to honor her late grandfather, who passed away from Parkinson's disease, and was tracking her progress with her father back home.
Pushing through the final miles
"Her father was tracking her... by the mile," FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers reported Tuesday on Newsroom Live. "At mile 18, she texted back her dad, 'Ow!' And then at mile 19, she texted back, 'Ow, ow!'"
Despite the pain, Apa kept running. She went silent for miles 20 through 22, and her father did not hear back when he texted her at mile 23. She collapsed shortly after at mile 24.
According to a report from the New York Times, Apa's family confirmed she suffered from rhabdomyolysis, a rare but serious medical condition.
READ MORE: Rhabdomyolysis explained: Hidden dangers of the rare muscle condition
A stranger's comfort in her final moments
What we know:
Bystanders immediately rushed to help as Apa fell.
Michaela Nicholas, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in childhood trauma, was standing on the sidelines near 85th Street with her fiancé cheering on friends. Just moments after cheering for Apa as she ran by, Nicholas watched her collapse.
"I just did what I knew I could in that moment, and that was to hold her hand and to comfort her and to tell her that she wasn't alone and that she was really loved," Nicholas told FOX 5 NY.
Nicholas noticed a bracelet with a cross on Apa's wrist.
"I said a prayer for her, and I just rubbed the cross hoping that she'd be okay," Nicholas said.
Two bystanders who identified themselves as doctors also ran into the course to perform CPR. Nicholas's fiancé immediately called 911, and paramedics and police officers soon arrived to take over the resuscitation efforts.
"We worked as a team to do whatever we could to help Rachel," Nicholas recalled. "They tried everything, and she was not responding."
Apa was transported to a local hospital where medical staff worked for hours to revive her, but she could not be saved.
What we don't know:
It is unclear if Apa experienced any other symptoms in the days leading up to the race. According to medical experts, rhabdomyolysis is a condition triggered by extreme physical exertion, which causes muscle tissue to break down rapidly and release proteins into the bloodstream that can overwhelm and poison the kidneys.
What's next:
Medical professionals continue to urge marathon runners and athletes engaging in high-exertion workouts to be aware of the signs of extreme muscle breakdown. The New York City Marathon had not recorded a participant death since 2022.
The Source: This article was written using an interview conducted by FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers on Newsroom Live and reporting from the New York Times.