A 24-year-old woman died after suffering a medical episode in the final miles of the New York City Marathon, her father has revealed their final text messages.
Rachel Apa, a former Division 1 field hockey player for Bucknell University, was running her first-ever marathon on November 2 when she collapsed. Her father, Steve Apa, stayed in contact with her throughout the race via text messages and a tracking app.
Final Messages Before the Collapse
The pair exchanged messages at miles 9, 14, and 20. After Steve messaged her at miles 21, 22, 23, and 24 without receiving a reply, he began to fear the worst. He and his wife Michelle then checked the app and found Rachel's location had stopped moving.
Steve texted her again to say Michelle was walking to mile 24 to find her. When they arrived at her last location, an emergency medical services worker confirmed an ambulance had taken her to hospital.
Medical Episode and Hospital Response
Marathon organisers New York Road Runners confirmed Rachel had experienced a medical episode. A bystander administered CPR before emergency services arrived and used a defibrillator. Doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital fought to save her life for six hours but were unable to do so.
Steve detailed their last interactions to NBC News. Rachel told him she was "so excited" at the start of the race, then texted "I feel amazing" and "I've never felt this good" at the nine-mile mark, which she attributed to the carbohydrates she consumed beforehand. He reminded her: "Great, don't overdo it. First marathon. This is a learning run. Don't overdo it."
Suspected Cause Under Investigation
After the 14th mile, Rachel replied "Ugh" to which he responded: "You beat the 18". She then texted "Ow, ow" prompting him to say "go easy". At mile 20, she wrote "Ow, ow" again, which turned out to be her final message to her father.
Steve told the New York Times that doctors informed him a rare condition called rhabdomyolysis - which causes damaged muscle tissue to break down and release harmful substances into the bloodstream - had been the cause of her episode. This is yet to be officially confirmed, as a spokesperson for the New York City medical examiner's office told the Athletic an investigation was still ongoing, with no cause of death determined.
Speaking to NBC, Steve said of his daughter: "She was always on the go, always go, and it doesn’t matter if it’s school or sports or whatever it is. She was go."
