💔 “I’ve Never Felt This Good”: NYC Marathon Runner, 24, Dies Just Two Miles From Finish Line — Her Final Text Messages to Her Father Reveal a Heartbreaking Turn

Rachel Apa was young, healthy and an accomplished college athlete. Just hours before tragedy struck, she excitedly told her father she felt better than ever. But as she approached the final miles of the New York City Marathon, her cheerful messages turned into short expressions of pain. Then, without warning, the texts stopped.

NEW YORK CITY — November 4, 2026 — A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman who collapsed just two miles from completing her first New York City Marathon has died, leaving her family devastated and raising questions about a dangerous medical condition that can affect even experienced athletes.

Rachel Apa, a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University, was participating in the November 1 race to raise money for Parkinson’s disease research in honor of her late grandfather.

She had spent months preparing for the challenge.

Her parents were proudly following her progress.

And early in the race, everything seemed to be going according to plan.

Rachel was smiling, running confidently and exchanging encouraging messages with her father, Steve Apa.

But approximately 24 miles into the 26.2-mile course, the young runner suddenly collapsed in Central Park.

Bystanders and emergency medical personnel immediately attempted to save her.

She was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died later that evening.

Her father has since revealed that doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition involving the breakdown of muscle tissue.

The New York City medical examiner’s investigation into her official cause of death remains ongoing.

A Daughter’s Joyful Message Before Everything Changed

Sunday morning began with excitement for the Apa family.

Rachel was running one of the world’s most prestigious marathons for the first time, joining tens of thousands of athletes from around the globe.

Her father, Steve, was at the family’s home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, following her progress through the New York Road Runners tracking application.

Throughout the race, he sent encouraging text messages.

Rachel responded enthusiastically during the early miles.

At approximately mile seven, she told her father she felt amazing and believed her preparations were paying off.

She was particularly excited that the nutritional preparation she had done before the race seemed to be working.

For Steve, the messages were reassuring.

His daughter had been an accomplished athlete for years.

She knew what it meant to train, compete and push herself physically.

Still, he reminded her not to overdo it.

It was her first marathon, and finishing safely mattered more than achieving an impressive time.

As the miles passed, the messages continued.

Then their tone began changing.

Mile 18: “Ow.” Mile 19: “Ow Ow.”

As Rachel approached the later stages of the marathon, she began reporting discomfort.

At approximately mile 18, she replied to her father with one short message.

“Ow.”

At mile 19, another message followed.

“Ow ow.”

The words were brief, but they marked a painful contrast with the enthusiasm she had expressed earlier.

Her father continued sending encouragement while monitoring her location.

He wanted her to take care of herself and not push beyond what she could manage.

At mile 23, he sent another message.

“Final stretch.”

Rachel never responded.

At first, Steve continued watching her progress through the tracking application.

Then, around mile 24, her location stopped moving.

He tried contacting her.

There was no answer.

What had begun as a joyful morning of supporting his daughter’s achievement was becoming an increasingly frightening situation.

And hundreds of miles away, Steve had no way of knowing exactly what was happening.

Her Mother Had Just Watched Her Smile and Wave

Earlier that afternoon, Rachel’s mother, Michelle Apa, had positioned herself along the marathon route in Long Island City, Queens.

She was eager to watch her daughter pass.

At approximately mile 14, Michelle spotted Rachel running toward her.

The young athlete appeared cheerful and energetic.

She smiled, waved and exchanged high-fives as she continued along the course.

Michelle recorded the moment on video.

It was a brief but precious memory of her daughter pursuing something she had worked so hard to accomplish.

Afterward, Michelle headed toward Central Park, intending to watch Rachel during the final stage of the race.

She expected to see her daughter approaching the finish line.

Instead, she would soon learn that Rachel had suffered a medical emergency.

By the time Michelle reached the area, emergency responders had already been called.

The mother who had just celebrated her daughter’s progress was suddenly confronting a terrifying uncertainty.

A Spectator Saw Rachel Collapse

At approximately 1:30 p.m., Rachel was running near mile 24 in Central Park.

She was wearing a green running outfit and approaching the final two miles of the marathon.

Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker who was watching the race, noticed the young runner passing nearby.

She cheered Rachel on.

Moments later, Rachel collapsed.

Nicholas immediately rushed to help and recognized that the situation was serious.

Other spectators, including two physicians, came forward and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Race medical personnel arrived with a defibrillator.

Emergency responders continued treatment before transporting Rachel to Mount Sinai Hospital.

Nicholas remained beside the young woman during the emergency, offering comfort as others worked to save her life.

The sudden collapse stunned witnesses.

Only moments earlier, Rachel had been moving toward the finish line alongside thousands of other runners.

Now, an urgent medical response was unfolding on the marathon course.

Her Family Rushed to the Hospital

When Michelle learned that Rachel had collapsed, she immediately sought information about her daughter’s condition.

An emergency medical worker told her that Rachel had been taken to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Steve was still in Pennsylvania, trying to understand why his daughter’s race-tracking information had stopped updating.

The family eventually learned that Rachel was in critical condition.

Medical professionals continued treating her for hours.

But despite their efforts, she could not be saved.

According to her father, Rachel was pronounced dead at approximately 9:40 p.m. on November 1.

She was 24 years old.

The devastating news brought an abrupt end to what should have been a day of celebration.

For her parents, the memories of Rachel’s smiling face earlier in the race now stood alongside the final text messages she had sent.

And the finish line she had been so determined to reach became a painful reminder of how close she had come.

A Rare Medical Condition That Can Affect Healthy Athletes

Rachel’s father told reporters that doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, sometimes called rhabdo.

The condition occurs when damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases substances into the bloodstream.

In severe cases, those substances can damage the kidneys and contribute to life-threatening complications.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis may develop following extreme physical exertion, particularly when exercise places unusually intense stress on the muscles.

Symptoms can include severe muscle pain, weakness, swelling, exhaustion and unusually dark urine.

Importantly, the condition is not limited to people who are physically unfit.

Even healthy, well-trained athletes can develop exertional rhabdomyolysis under certain circumstances.

However, the exact medical sequence that led to Rachel’s collapse has not been publicly established.

The New York City medical examiner is investigating her death, and the reported diagnosis comes from information shared by her father.

It would therefore be premature to conclude that any single training decision, symptom or environmental factor caused the tragedy. <Cite refs={[“turn632261news1″,”turn632261search11”]}/>

“Perfect Health, Perfect Shape, 24 Years Old”

For Steve Apa, the loss was almost impossible to comprehend.

His daughter had been active throughout her life, competing in Division I field hockey at Bucknell University before turning her attention to other goals.

She was also building a promising professional future.

Rachel worked as a product manager for an electrical components company while pursuing an MBA at Charleston Southern University.

She had plans, ambitions and a family who believed she had many years ahead of her.

Her father struggled to reconcile that future with the sudden medical emergency.

He described Rachel as being in excellent health and physical condition.

Those details made her death particularly difficult for the family to understand.

The woman who had been exchanging cheerful messages with him earlier that day was gone.

And the race that was supposed to end with a celebration had instead ended in tragedy.

She Was Running for the Grandfather Who Inspired Her Love of Sports

Rachel’s decision to participate in the marathon carried a deeply personal meaning.

She was running to support the Parkinson’s Foundation in memory of her grandfather, who died in 2022.

He had been an important influence during her childhood.

He encouraged her to stay active, embrace physical challenges and develop the determination that would later shape her athletic career.

After he developed Parkinson’s disease, Rachel witnessed how the illness gradually affected his ability to move.

She wanted to honor his memory by helping others affected by the condition.

Through the Parkinson’s Foundation Champions program, she launched a fundraising campaign connected to her marathon participation.

Her story inspired donations from supporters who were moved by her dedication.

By the time Fox News published its report on November 3, the campaign had raised more than $22,000.

What began as a personal tribute had become a source of support for research and care.

Rachel did not get to complete the marathon, but her fundraising effort has continued to make an impact. <Cite refs={[“turn632261news19″,”turn632261news0”]}/>

The Final Two Miles Her Family Will Never Forget

The 2026 New York City Marathon brought more than 61,000 finishers through the city’s five boroughs.

For most runners, crossing the finish line represented months or years of preparation.

For Rachel, it was meant to represent something more: a tribute to her grandfather and the lessons he had taught her.

She had already completed approximately 24 miles.

Her mother had watched her smile and wave.

Her father had encouraged her through every stage of the race.

And the finish line was almost within reach.

But the sudden collapse in Central Park changed everything.

New York Road Runners expressed condolences to Rachel’s family and the running community.

Her death has also drawn attention to the importance of recognizing potentially dangerous symptoms during strenuous exercise.

The family’s grief, however, goes far beyond the circumstances of the race.

They lost a daughter whose life was filled with promise, whose passion for sports began in childhood and whose desire to help others had motivated her to take on the marathon.

The Messages That Became Her Father’s Last Memories of the Race

For Steve Apa, the text messages from November 1 are now an especially painful part of his daughter’s story.

Earlier that morning, Rachel had been excited.

She felt strong.

She believed her months of preparation were helping her succeed.

Then came the short messages expressing pain.

Her father continued encouraging her while reminding her to be careful.

He watched the tracking application as she approached the final miles.

And when he sent his message at mile 23, he expected her to keep moving toward the finish.

Instead, the replies stopped.

The family now has memories of Rachel’s determination, the video of her smiling during the race and the knowledge that she was running for a cause she believed in.

Rachel Apa was just two miles from completing her first marathon when she collapsed. She was only 24, and her life was only beginning.

Although she never reached the finish line, the purpose behind her journey remains part of her legacy.

She ran to honor her grandfather.

She ran to help families affected by Parkinson’s disease.

And through the generosity inspired by her story, that mission continues.