Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old former college field hockey player from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, died on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after collapsing near mile 24 of the New York City Marathon — her first-ever marathon. Her father, Steve Apa, has since shared the final text messages exchanged with his daughter during the race, offering a deeply personal account of her final hours. The family says doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle condition, though the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has not yet issued a final official determination.
Trigger Warning: This article discusses the sudden death of a young athlete. Reader discretion is advised.
The Final Messages Between a Father and Daughter
Steve Apa was not in New York for the race. He tracked his daughter from the family home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, using the marathon’s official app, and the two stayed in contact through short text messages throughout the morning. The exchanges began with excitement.
Around 11:30 a.m., at the nine-mile mark, Rachel texted: “Hey, go” — a mantra the pair had shared for years, tied to Steve’s football days at Lehigh University. She followed it with “I feel amazing” and “I’ve never felt this good,” crediting her pre-race carb-loading.
Steve replied with a father’s caution: “Great, don’t overdo it. First marathon. This is a learning run. Don’t overdo it”. He told her she would see her mother, Michelle Apa, on the left side of the course in two blocks. Michelle recorded a video of Rachel at mile 14 in Queens, smiling and high-fiving toward the camera in a light green top.
The tone shifted a few miles later. Rachel texted “Ugh,” and Steve responded, “You beat the 18.” Then came “Ow, ow.” Steve reminded her to “go easy”. At mile 20, she sent another “Ow, ow.” He continued texting encouragement at mile 21, 22, and 23. At mile 23, his message read: “All finish, not speed”.
Steve sent one more text at mile 24, around 1:30 p.m. Then he noticed that Rachel’s location on the tracking app had stopped moving. Michelle and two of Rachel’s friends were waiting at mile 25 and saw the same thing. Michelle called Steve; he told her to find their daughter. He texted Rachel to let her know her mother was walking toward her. She never replied.
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What Happened at Mile 24 in Central Park
Rachel collapsed in Central Park near 85th Street, roughly two miles from the finish line. A hospital social worker named Michaela Nicholas was watching the race and cheering on runners by name when she saw Rachel in the green top with bib number 29977. Nicholas called out, “Let’s go, Rachel, you got this!” — then watched her collapse about 15 meters further along the route.
Nicholas, a clinical social worker, knelt beside Rachel and held her hand. “I just held Rachel’s hand and talked to her and told her that she wasn’t alone and that she’s loved, and I prayed for her,” she said. Two doctors in the crowd performed CPR before marathon medical staff arrived with a defibrillator. Emergency responders took Rachel to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. Doctors worked for more than six hours to save her life. She was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. on Sunday.
New York Road Runners (NYRR) , the organization that stages the marathon, said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by Rachel’s passing following running in Sunday’s race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with her family, friends, and the entire running community”.
The Rare Condition Linked to Her Death
Steve Apa told multiple outlets that doctors attributed Rachel’s death to rhabdomyolysis. The condition causes damaged muscle tissue to break down rapidly and release substances into the bloodstream, which can overwhelm the kidneys and lead to organ failure. The Cleveland Clinic describes it as a serious condition brought on by extreme physical exertion without adequate rest. The Mayo Clinic notes that marathon runners are among those who can be affected.
Rhabdomyolysis affects approximately 0.0076 percent of the U.S. population each year. Warning signs can include muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, and dark-colored urine. The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner is still investigating and had not released a final cause of death as of reports published on November 3.
Steve described the loss in plain terms. “It’s unfathomable,” he told The New York Times. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old”.
Who Rachel Apa Was: Athlete, Student, and Charity Runner
Rachel Apa was not a casual runner. She played Division I field hockey at Bucknell University for four years, graduating in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation, and design. She made 42 starts in 63 games, recording 40 points on 17 goals and six assists. USA Field Hockey said on social media that “Rachel’s impact on the sport and those around her will not be forgotten”.
At the time of her death, she was working as a product manager at TE Connectivity, a company that makes electrical components, and was pursuing an MBA at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina.
She ran the New York City Marathon as part of the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions team, raising money in memory of her grandfather, who died in 2022 after living with Parkinson’s disease. Her original fundraising goal was $4,000. On her fundraising page, she wrote: “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”.
Steve told NBC News that he never asked Rachel why she chose Parkinson’s as her cause, but he understood. “My father, her grandfather, did have Parkinson’s, and she saw how debilitating it was,” he said.
A Community Mourns and Donations Surge
As word of Rachel’s death spread on Tuesday, November 3, donations poured into her Parkinson’s Champions fundraising page. The total quickly surpassed $21,000 — more than five times her original goal. Bucknell University expressed condolences, and TE Connectivity said it was grappling with the news.
The death occurred as the New York City Marathon marked 50 years in its five-borough format. A record 61,000 runners reached the finish line that day.
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Steve Apa made the drive from Pennsylvania to New York as the events unfolded. Michelle followed the ambulance carrying Rachel to Mount Sinai in a second ambulance. The family’s final exchange — a father texting “All finish, not speed” to a daughter who had already given everything she had — is now part of the public record of a race that ended in tragedy for a first-time marathoner running for a cause she believed in.
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