A mile later she texted him: “Ow, ow”. She appeared to have rallied when she texted “final stretch” to Steve at the 23rd mile.

However, she collapsed soon afterwards and was given CPR by a member of the public. Race medical staff then used a defibrillator on Rachel, before she was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Doctors there tried to save her but she died at 9.40pm. Her father told the Times that Rachel had died from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition that can be brought on by heavy exercise in which muscles break down.“It’s unfathomable,” Steve Apa said.Rachel had recently started an MBA at Charleston Southern University.“We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our runners following yesterday’s race,” the New York Road Runners, who organize the race, said in a statement. “Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the runner’s family, friends, and the entire running community.”New York Road Runners said the last time a participant in the race died from a medical incident was in 2024.