24-year-old runner dies after collapsing during first marathon
A 24-year-old runner died after collapsing near the finish line in her first marathon in New York.
Rachel Apa of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed near the 24-mile mark of the 26.2-mile race on Nov. 1, according to The New York Times.
Her mother, Michelle, had been waiting for her near Mile 25 after recording a video of her daughter running through Queens at Mile 14. Her father, Steve, was tracking her progress through the marathon’s app and sending her encouraging messages.
At Mile 18, Apa texted her father, “Ow,” with the latter reminding her to "go easy." At Mile 19, she again messaged, “Ow ow.”
Apa stopped responding to Steve's messages at Miles 20, 21, and 22, but continued running.
Near Mile 24 in Central Park, spectator Michaela Nicholas saw Apa pass by before collapsing seconds later. Nicholas, a hospital social worker, ran to help and could not find a pulse. She and other bystanders, including two people who identified themselves as physicians, took turns performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Per an AP News report, the New York Road Runners, the organization behind the marathon, said that medical personnel arrived and used a defibrillator before paramedics transported Apa to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Doctors attempted to save her life for more than six hours.
Nicholas told The New York Times that the response seemed to take too long. According to time-stamped photos and videos reviewed by the outlet, Apa collapsed at around 1:33 p.m., while a marathon medical crew arrived around 1:40 p.m. The defibrillator was used between 1:41 and 1:50 p.m.
Apa’s father said doctors attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscles release proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream. These substances can damage the kidneys and other organs and, in severe cases, become life-threatening.
Apa was a product manager for an electrical component company and had recently started an MBA program at Charleston Southern University. She was running to raise money for Parkinson’s disease research, a cause close to her heart as her grandfather died from the disease.