New York City Marathon runner tragically dies at 24 after Central Park collapse

The New York City Marathon is one of the biggest public running spectacles in the world, but the 2026 race featured a tragedy with over 60,000 competitors pacing New York’s streets.Rachel Apa, 24, tragically passed away while running her first NYC Marathon in honor of her late grandfather. The runner was believed to be in good health prior to the race, but Apa was pronounced dead after suffering rhabdomyolysis, a condition that sees muscles break down rapidly. The New York Times spoke with Apa’s father, Steve, who was tracking his daughter’s run throughout New York City. He told the outlet that Rachel began complaining of severe pain during Mile 18 of the run.However, Apa ultimately collapsed in Central Park around Mile 24, nearly two miles prior to finishing the race. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital on Sunday night before being ruled dead.MORE: ESPN’s Hannah Storm to miss NYC Marathon broadcast amid second cancer battleNYC Marathon ends with tragedyRachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing in Central Park during her first New York City Marathon, about two miles from the finish. She was running in honor of her late grandfather and had trained for months. Apa was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died Sunday night. Her father said she had been in excellent health and that the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis. VIA: @nypost— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 3, 2026The first-time NYC Marathon participant was considered to be in “perfect health” by all accounts. She also spent time training for the race before competing.Apa was using the experience to honor her grandfather and chose to run to fight Parkinson’s disease. The Pennsylvania native helped raise over $7,000 for the cause, according to her fundraising page.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —