Rachel Apa, 24, Dies After Collapsing in NYC Marathon

Rachel Apa, 24, Dies After Collapsing in NYC Marathon

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Rachel Apa, 24, Charleston Southern MBA Student, Dies After Collapsing at Mile 24 of the NYC Marathon

Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old woman from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed near the 24-mile mark of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, and later died, the New York Police Department said, WYFF4 reported. It was her first marathon. Her father told WGAL that Apa had been stricken with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles break down during exertion and can poison the body.

She was studying for her master’s degree at Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, South Carolina, where she had enrolled in the MBA program just this past August. The university said Apa, a former Bucknell University Division I field hockey player, had trained for months for the 26.2-mile race. The stakes of that final stretch were personal: she was running to raise funds in memory of her grandfather, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease.

RIP Rachel Apa, 24, Dies from Rare Muscle Condition After Collapsing in NYC Marathon

A rare condition at the cruelest mile

Rhabdomyolysis is not a typical marathon injury. It occurs when muscle tissue breaks down after injury, severe dehydration, or excessive high-intensity exercise without rest, releasing contents into the bloodstream that can overwhelm the body. Apa collapsed approaching mile 24 of 26.2, according to the NYPD, and died after that collapse. For a university community that had known her for barely three months, the loss landed with a particular shock: she had arrived on campus in August full of plans, and was gone before November ended.

Charleston Southern confirmed the death in a message posted to social media, describing Apa as an MBA student in the Nielsen College of Business who “collapsed at mile 24 during the New York City Marathon Sunday, November 1.”

“Take advantage of the talents you had been blessed with”

Maxwell Rollins, assistant dean of graduate programs for the Nielsen College of Business, shared a recent class assignment in which Apa laid out her mission. She wrote that she wanted to take advantage of the talents and opportunities she had been blessed with to make an impact in the lives of those around her.

“She wrote that her desire was to demonstrate Christ’s love and character in both business and everyday life,” Rollins said. “Though she had just started her MBA at CSU, her passion for others and heart for Jesus will continue to serve as an inspiration for all our students.”

That sense of purpose ran through the race itself. On the Parkinson’s Champions fundraising website, Apa explained why she had signed up for the marathon: she was running in memory of her grandfather.

“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.”

A university in mourning

President B. Keith Faulkner spoke to the grief of a campus that barely knew her. “The loss of a vibrant young woman in the prime of her life is a sorrow no parent can imagine enduring,” he said. “The Charleston Southern family is surrounding the Apa family, along with all who knew and loved Rachel, with our prayers and support.”

Faulkner framed her final hours around the cause she had chosen: “Her final hours are forever marked by Rachel’s selfless dedication to helping others as she ran to raise funds in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.” He added, “We know that true peace comes only from the Lord, and we pray that His presence and comfort will be deeply felt by all who are grieving and by all whose lives were touched by Rachel’s extraordinary life and legacy.”

24-year-old runner Rachel Apa dies after collapsing during NYC Marathon

The university said its counseling services and campus ministries teams are available to anyone seeking support, and that plans for a memorial service have not yet been announced.

Apa’s story sits at an unsettling intersection: a 24-year-old athlete, a first-time marathoner who trained for months, and a medical emergency that can strike even the well-prepared. Her grandfather taught her to push her limits. On Sunday in New York, she was doing exactly that.

More on Rachel Apa

Rachel Apa, 24, dies after collapsing during NYC Marathon | NBC New York
Rachel Apa Dies at 24 After Collapsing During NYC Marathon | Remembering the Bucknell Athlete

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