Rachel Apa Dies After Collapsing at New York City Marathon 2026

Rachel Apa Dies After Collapsing at New York City Marathon 2026

Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and a former Division 1 student-athlete at Bucknell University, died after collapsing during the 2026 New York City Marathon, held on Sunday, November 1. She was running her first marathon as a charity runner for the Parkinson’s Foundation, in memory of her grandfather, who died in 2022 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Rachel never reached the finish line.

What Happened

According to The New York Times, Rachel collapsed in Central Park near the 24-mile mark, about two miles from the finish. New York Road Runners, the organizer of the marathon, said a bystander began CPR, after which the event’s medical staff took over, continued CPR and used a defibrillator.

Rachel was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. Doctors fought to save her for more than six hours, and she was pronounced dead at around 9:40 p.m. local time. According to her family, doctors cited rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle injury in which muscle tissue rapidly breaks down, as the cause of death. This information comes from the family and is not an official finding.

Running in Memory of Her Grandfather

Rachel ran for Parkinson’s Champions, a Parkinson’s Foundation program in which participants raise funds for research and care for people living with the disease. She dedicated her first marathon to her grandfather, who died in 2022 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Her family described her as being in excellent shape and said she had trained for months.

Rachel ran to help others and to honor someone she loved. May her determination and the good she left behind stay with runners everywhere.