Young NYC Marathon runner collapses and dies two miles from finish line

A 24-year-old runner in the New York City Marathon collapsed and died just two miles from the finish line, despite being in "perfect health, perfect shape", her father has said.

Rachel Apa, from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, was running on Sunday with the Parkinson's Foundation Champions to raise money and honor her grandfather who had the disease, she said in a fundraising page.

It was Apa's first marathon, though she was an athlete and had trained for months, father Steve Apa told the New York Times.

She died from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition where muscles break down and poison the bloodstream, which can be brought on by overexertion, her father said.

Near mile marker 24, Apa collapsed in Central Park and a bystander performed CPR before race medical staff arrived, race organiser New York Road Runners told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

According to a New York Police Department statement, which did not name Apa, she was taken to hospital in critical condition.

She died that night. The city medical examiner's office said it is still investigating Apa's cause of death.

Around Mile 18, the Times reported that Apa had texted her father "Ow" and then a mile later "Ow ow", before sending the message "final stretch" at the 23rd mile, according to the Times.

"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," New York Road Runners said in a statement obtained by CBS.

Apa graduated with a business degree in 2024 from Pennsylvania's Bucknell University, where she also played field hockey, according to her LinkedIn profile online.

Since graduating, she had worked as a product manager at an industrial technology company.

Ahead of the race, Apa wrote on her marathon fundraising page how much her grandfather, who she was honoring with the run meant to her.

"My grandfather was my role model growing up," she wrote. "He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement."

She said he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "I watched as the disease slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved so much," she continued.

"The lessons he taught me continue to drive me forward."

More than 61,000 people participated in this year's New York City Marathon, which for the third year in a row broke the world's record for largest marathon.