24-Year-Old Woman Dies After Collapsing Near Finish in Her First New York City Marathon

Participated in a Parkinson's disease fundraiser

A 24-year-old woman competing in the New York City Marathon for the first time collapsed about 3.6 kilometers from the finish line and died. She was reportedly raising money for charity in honor of her grandfather, who died of Parkinson's disease.

Participants run in the New York City Marathon in New York City on the 1st (local time). EPA-Yonhap News

According to the Associated Press and The New York Times (NYT) on November 3 (local time), Rachel Appa, 24, of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, collapsed near the 24-mile (38.6-kilometer) mark of the marathon course in Central Park, New York, on November 1. She received emergency treatment at the scene and was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Appa competed in field hockey as an NCAA Division I athlete at Bucknell University. She had recently begun an MBA program at Charleston Southern University and worked as a product manager at an electrical components company.

Her father, Steve, told the NYT that the cause of his daughter's death was rhabdomyolysis. "I can't believe it. She was 24 and in perfect health and physical condition," he said. New York City's medical examiner is still investigating the exact cause of death.

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle damage, often caused by excessive exercise, releases substances from muscle cells into the bloodstream. In severe cases, it can damage vital organs such as the kidneys and become life-threatening.

Appa collapsed near the 24-mile mark. Her parents also saw on a tracking app that their daughter had remained at that location.

At the time, hospital social worker Mikayla Nicholas was watching the race at the scene and called out words of encouragement to Appa. Appa ran about 14 meters farther before collapsing.

Nicholas said she held Appa's hand and comforted her while bystanders and race medical staff performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Medical staff also used a defibrillator. Paramedics then took Appa to a hospital, but she died. Nicholas said, however, that it took far too long for professional medical personnel to arrive.

According to video and photos obtained by the NYT, Appa collapsed at around 1:33 p.m. Race medical staff arrived by 1:40 p.m., and a defibrillator was used between 1:41 and 1:50 p.m.

During her lifetime, Appa took part in the Parkinson's Champions fundraising campaign, supported by the Parkinson's Foundation, in honor of her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease. Donations surged after news of her death became public, pushing the total past the original goal of $4,000 (about 5.4 million won).

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon being held across New York City's five boroughs. A record 61,000 people finished this year's race.

New York Road Runners said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by Rachel's death," and added, "We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the entire running community."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.