A 24-year-old New York City Marathon runner in perfect health collapsed two miles from the finish and died from a rare muscle condition that poisons the blood, her father revealed.

Rachel Apa went down near mile 24 in Central Park around 1:30 p.m. Sunday and was rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where doctors fought for more than six hours before she was declared dead around 9:40 p.m.

Her father, Steve Apa, told reporters the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare breakdown of skeletal muscle that dumps myoglobin and potassium into the bloodstream, risking kidney failure and fatal heart rhythms.

He had been tracking her from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, texting encouragement at every mile while she ran her first marathon to raise money against Parkinson’s disease, the illness that killed her grandfather.

Pain texts came after mile 18

Early on, she sounded strong. Then the messages changed.

At mile 18 she texted “Ow.” At mile 19 she wrote “Ow ow.” For miles 20 through 22 she stayed silent, though the race app showed she was still moving. At mile 23 her father sent one more note: “Final stretch.”

Just The News reported she had earlier told him she felt “amazing” and “never felt this good.”

Minutes later, near 85th Street in Central Park, she collapsed.

Spectator Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker standing along the course, saw the young woman in green with bib No. 29977 and the name “Rachel.” She called out encouragement.

"Let’s go, Rachel, you got this!"

Seconds later Apa went down. Nicholas ran over, found no pulse, and held her hand while her fiancée yelled for a doctor. Three bystanders, two who said they were physicians, started CPR. Marathon medical staff used a defibrillator. Paramedics loaded her into an ambulance as Apa’s mother, waiting near the finish line, rushed to the scene.

Nicholas later described staying with her until help took over.

"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."

Breitbart carried that account of the final moments on the course.

Father calls her death unfathomable

Steve Apa said doctors worked past six hours at Mount Sinai before the end came. He still could not square the outcome with the daughter he knew.

"It’s unfathomable. Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old."

That is how he described her to the New York Post after identifying rhabdomyolysis as the cause.

Fox News reported she was a healthy former Division I athlete and an MBA student at Charleston Southern University, running to honor her grandfather and support Parkinson’s research.

On LinkedIn she had written about the man who shaped her habits.

"My grandfather was one of my role models growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges."

New York Road Runners issued a brief statement after the race.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends, and the entire running community."

The organization said the last time a marathon runner died after a medical incident was in 2024.

What rhabdomyolysis does to the body

Medical descriptions cited in coverage explain the condition as a rapid disintegration of muscle tissue under extreme stress. The released compounds can overwhelm the kidneys and disrupt the heart’s electrical system. Cleveland Clinic material noted that even survivors often face weeks of lingering weakness and may be told to avoid exercise for months.

In Apa’s case, the cascade proved fatal despite immediate CPR, a defibrillator on the course, and hours of hospital care.

She was 24, in shape, running for a cause larger than herself, and two miles from the line when her body failed. Her father watched every mile from another state. Strangers on the curb tried to bring her back. Doctors kept working long after the crowds moved on.

A young life spent pushing limits for family and charity ended in Central Park on a Sunday afternoon, a hard reminder that even the strongest bodies can break without warning.