Family Launches Foundation After Marathon Runner's Death In Central Park

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The family of Rachel Apa, the 24-year-old woman who collapsed near mile marker 24 of the New York City Marathon and died later that night, has launched a foundation in her memory.

The Rachel Apa Foundation aims to educate athletes about rhabdomyolysis, a condition doctors believe caused Apa’s death, according to her family.

The family also hopes to advocate for rapid medical care at endurance races and support athletes as they pursue their goals.

"Our family is beyond heartbroken. Rachel was a loving daughter and sister, a loyal friend, and the brightest person in any room," Dominic Apa, Rachel's brother, wrote on GoFundMe. "Her kindness, determination, and faith inspired everyone she met."

Apa was running her first marathon on Sunday, Nov. 1, when she collapsed in Central Park, just two miles from the finish line.

Bystanders performed CPR before she was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m., Patch previously reported.

Two months before the race, Apa wrote that she was running to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation in honor of her grandfather, who died of the disease in 2022.

“He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I watched as it slowly took away the freedom to move that he once loved,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

She raised more than $12,000 toward that goal.

Her family’s new GoFundMe campaign seeks donations to establish and fund the foundation.

In Apa’s obituary, her family said they hope the effort will help ensure athletes know about rhabdomyolysis, prevent other families from experiencing a similar loss and keep her memory alive.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.