NYC Marathon Runner, 24, Dies After Collapsing in Central Park as Record 61,146 Finish the Race
News disclosed on November 3 showed that Rachel Apa, a 24-year-old runner in the New York City Marathon, died after collapsing during the race on November 1, drawing attention from the running community and the public. Apa was running her first marathon after months of training, and her family told The New York Times she had been in good health.
At about 1:33 p.m. on race day, she collapsed near the 24-mile mark in Central Park, where hospital social worker Michaela Nicholas, a spectator, rushed over with her fiancée to perform CPR. Apa ultimately died of rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscle tissue breaks down and harms the body. About 26,000 people in the United States develop rhabdomyolysis each year, according to reports, and the last death of a runner at the New York City Marathon occurred in 2024.
A total of 61,146 runners finished this year's marathon, breaking the world record for the third consecutive year. Sweden's Andreas Almgren won the men's race in 2:06:01, and Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui, 35, won the women's race in 2:24:36. As organizers and fellow runners mourn Apa, the death is a reminder that the health risks of long-distance racing should not be overlooked.
Source: New York Post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约马拉松选手行进至中央公园24英里处（2023年赛事资料图）。（Upjav 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons） / Photo: Runners at Mile 24 of the New York City Marathon in Central Park (2023 file photo). (by Upjav, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
