Rachel Apa Dies After Collapsing Near Mile 24 in 2026 TCS New York City Marathon

Rachel Apa collapses

Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old runner, died after collapsing near mile 24 during the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, and New York Road Runners said she was given lifesaving measures on the race course before being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where she later died. Steve Apa told ABC News that his daughter died of rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition that can develop during physical activity, and he said she had no prior health issues and had trained for the marathon. Michaela Nicholas said she and her fiancé were cheering when they saw Apa collapse, and she said a runner called 911 while doctors in the crowd rushed to Apa and began CPR after finding no pulse.

+1Cause said by father7 of 8 outlets reported it · not in PIX11▾

New York Road Runners said in a statement to ABC News, "We are deeply saddened by Rachel’s passing following running in Sunday’s race," while the city medical examiner’s office said it was investigating the cause of Apa’s death. The ABC News Medical Unit’s Jennifer Miao said, "Rhabdo can occur in anybody as young as someone in their 20s that's training for a marathon," as the race continued to draw attention to the risks of intense exertion.

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What rhabdomyolysis means

Rhabdomyolysis, sometimes shortened to rhabdo, is a serious, life-threatening condition that develops when damaged tissues in muscles release electrolytes and proteins into the bloodstream, leading to nausea, vomiting, organ damage, seizures, heart arrhythmias or death. Symptoms can include aches, severe pains, like joint pain, muscle cramps, dark-colored urine, fatigue or weakness, and exercise intolerance or an inability to complete a task. Treatment can vary depending on severity, and milder cases require intake of fluids with bicarbonate, getting out of extreme heat, and rest.

Treatment can vary depending on severity, and it noted that milder cases require intake of fluids with bicarbonate, getting out of extreme heat, and rest. Medline Plus said more severe cases may include kidney dialysis, medications, IV fluids or hospital intervention, to treat secondary conditions like low blood pressure, renal failure, chemical imbalances in the blood, seizures, arrhythmias, compartment syndrome, and high potassium.

Reporting for this sectionABC News

Debate over risk

61,146 runners completed the New York City Marathon on Sunday, while Rachel Apa was not among them after collapsing near mile 24 and being pronounced dead later that night.

Jack Goodman, a professor emeritus in kinesiology at the University of Toronto, said, "When the population is so large, there are bound to be more cases, rare as they are," and Dr. Christopher Labos said, "You just hear about it more in the news because it's so shocking when something unexpected like this happens."

Experts described the incidence rate as very low given that millions of people run marathons each year, and marathons are not any riskier than they were 20 years ago but have become far more popular.

A 2019 global review in the BMJ put the risk of risk of death at about one in 150,000 runners, and a 2025 JAMA study found the risk of dying from a cardiac event during long-distance running races in the U.S. has gone down by about 50 per cent in recent years.

The 2025 JAMA study noted a small uptick in non-fatal cardiac events since 2020, and the study hypothesized this could be due to less access to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to reduced detection of cardiovascular disease.

Reporting for this sectionCBC