Runner Rachel Apa dies after collapsing during New York City Marathon

A 24-year-old runner died after collapsing during the New York City Marathon on Sunday, according to the New York Post and the Daily Mail. The New York Road Runners confirmed the death of Rachel Apa, who collapsed in Central Park about two miles from the finish line. The Daily Mail, citing The New York Times, reported that she collapsed at around 1:30 p.m. and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. [1][2]

Apa collapsed along the final stretch of the course, where a hospital social worker rushed to assist her but was unable to save her, according to the Daily Mail. Her father, Steve Apa, told the New York Times that she was in good health and had been training for months before the event, the New York Post reported. [1][2]

Apa was running her first marathon as part of the Parkinson's Champions team to honor her grandfather, who died in 2022 after battling the disease, according to the New York Post. She was also a former field hockey player for Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, the New York Post and the Daily Mail both reported. [1][2]

The New York City Marathon courses through the five boroughs of New York City and is one of the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States. Central Park, where the collapse occurred, is an 843-acre urban park located in Manhattan. [6][8]