Rachel Apa was texting her father, Steve, from the course. According to Fox News Digital, at mile 18 she wrote “Ow.” Her messages grew shorter over the next miles, and after he sent back “Final stretch” at mile 23, she stopped replying.

Minutes later, two miles from the finish, she collapsed in Central Park. Bystanders started CPR, race medics used a defibrillator, and she was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital. She was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ABC News reported.

The 24-year-old from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, had been a Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University. She had recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she was working as a product manager at an electrical components firm while studying for an MBA at Charleston Southern University.

Her father told CBS News that the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles break down and flood the bloodstream with substances that can damage the kidneys. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not made a final determination, and the investigation into Apa’s death is ongoing.

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Rhabdo: when muscles poison the kidneys

Rhabdomyolysis, often shortened to “rhabdo,” occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases electrolytes and proteins into the bloodstream. The kidneys, unable to filter the surge fast enough, are the organs most at risk. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists severe muscle aches, dark-colored urine, cramps and weakness among the warning signs.

Risk factors include extreme exertion, dehydration and heat, but the condition can strike well-conditioned athletes. Severe cases can require dialysis and lead to kidney failure, seizures, heart arrhythmias or death.

A $4,000 goal and a grandfather’s name

Apa was running her first marathon as a member of the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions team, raising money in memory of her grandfather, who died of Parkinson’s disease in 2022.

Her original goal was $4,000. By the evening after her death, her fundraising page had taken in more than $28,000, Yahoo Sports reported.

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Steve Apa said his daughter had been in “perfect health and perfect shape” before the race and described her death as unfathomable. Her mother, Michelle, had seen her pass mile 14 looking strong, hours before the collapse.

The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon drew around 55,000 runners through the five boroughs on Sunday. The medical examiner’s investigation into Apa’s death is continuing.

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