Father of 24-year-old woman who suddenly died two miles before New York marathon finish line speaks out

The father of the New York City marathon runner who died after collapsing just two miles from the finish line has broken his silence on the tragedy.

Rachel Apa, 24, was running her first-ever marathon on Sunday (2 November) as part of the Parkinson’s Champions team in honor of her late grandfather, who died of the disease in 2022.

As reported by The New York Times, Rachel had not only trained for months, but she was also an athlete and a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University.

However, tragically, she collapsed in Central Park at around 1.30pm, with just two miles of the race left to go.

Despite attempts to save her life, Rachel was heartbreakingly pronounced dead in hospital hours later.

Her father, Steve Apa, confirmed the cause was rhabdomyolysis - a rare muscle condition that can be brought on by exertion, where the muscles break down and release harmful substances into the bloodstream.

Rachel Apa was running her first-ever marathon, in honour of her late grandfather, when tragedy struck (Instagram/Bucknell Athletics)

He told the NY Times: “It’s unfathomable. Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”

As per Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis can result from ‘overexertion, trauma, medications, or an underlying health condition’.

Common signs and symptoms include weak muscles, muscle stiffness, muscle pain, and a change in your pee color.

Rachel’s mother, Michelle, was spectating the marathon, waiting for her daughter at Mile 25, while her father, Steve, was at home, tracking her on the marathon’s dedicated app.

She’d caught her before, at Mile 14 in Queens, and even managed to take a video as she ran past, high-fiving towards the camera.

At Mile 18, she texted her dad: “Ow,” followed by “Ow, ow,” at Mile 19.

“Final stretch,” he responded when she reached Mile 23, but she never replied.

Her mother was watching the marathon, while her dad was tracking her from home (New York Road Runners/Getty Images)

A hospital social worker, Michaela Nicholas, was the first to see Rachel unexpectedly collapse and ran over to help.

She couldn’t find a pulse, so her fiancée called for a doctor, and three people, including two who said they were physicians, took turns administering CPR.

Michaela told the outlet that she held Rachel’s hand and told her she was not alone until medical staff arrived and took over, using a defibrillator, before paramedics turned up in an ambulance.

Using the app, Rachel’s parents could see that she was still at Mile 24, and so her mother made her way over and got to the scene as the ambulance was pulling away.

She was taken in a second ambulance to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where desperate attempts were made to save her daughter’s life. But, tragically, Rachel was declared dead around 9:40 p.m., her father confirmed.

Rachel was the first participant to die during the event since 2024 (Tyla/NBC/Instagram)

Following Rachel’s tragic death, the New York Road Runners, the organisation behind the marathon, confirmed that she was the first participant to die during the event since 2024.

In a statement, the organisation said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday's race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner's family, friends, and the entire running community."

In September, Rachel announced on LinkedIn that she would be running the marathon as a charity runner for the Parkinson’s Foundation.

She wrote: “I'll be raising money that goes toward critical research, better care, and hopefully one day, a cure.

“Choosing a foundation that means something to me was important. My grandfather was one of my role models growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, I watched as it slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved.”