NYC Marathon Runner, 24, Dies Just Miles From Finish Line — Her Dad Reveals the 5 Words She Told Him Hours Before Tragedy

At Mile 25 of the New York City Marathon, Michelle Apa was waiting to see her 24-year-old daughter, Rachel, approach the finish line. She had already watched her run past earlier, smiling and waving, but this time, her daughter never appeared.

Back home in Pennsylvania, Rachel's father, Steve Apa, was following her progress on his phone and sending messages of encouragement. Then the updates suddenly stopped, leaving him searching for answers — and remembering five words his daughter had written just hours earlier.

A Mother Waited for a Familiar Face

On November 1, 2026, Michelle had traveled to New York with two of Rachel's friends to support her during her first marathon. Steve stayed home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, following the race through a tracking app.

Michelle had already filmed Rachel near Mile 14, capturing her smiling and waving as she ran past. She then headed toward Mile 25, where she expected to cheer for her daughter again.

Meanwhile, Steve was exchanging messages with Rachel as she made her way through the 26.2-mile course. He encouraged her throughout the race, keeping an eye on each new mile marker.

Rachel had spent months preparing for this day. But the marathon wasn't only about crossing the finish line — she was running for someone she had lost.

A Promise That Began Long Before New York

Growing up, Rachel shared a special bond with her grandfather, who helped inspire her love of sports. He encouraged her to stay active, push her limits, and embrace challenges, teaching her lessons that stayed with her long after childhood.

But later in life, her grandfather developed Parkinson's disease. Rachel watched as the condition gradually took away his ability to move freely, something he had once enjoyed so much.

Her grandfather died in 2022, but Rachel never forgot the encouragement he had given her. When she decided to run the New York City Marathon, she chose to honor his memory by raising money for Parkinson's research.

She joined the Parkinson's Champions fundraising initiative and set a goal of $4,000 to support research and programs for people affected by the disease. What began as a personal challenge became an opportunity to help other families facing the same illness.

The marathon was a fitting way for Rachel to remember the grandfather who had encouraged her to embrace physical challenges. She had loved sports since childhood and had spent years training and competing at a high level.

By November 2026, Rachel was ready for another milestone, with her mother and friends planning to celebrate along the route. No one expected that the day would end so differently.

The Young Woman Behind the Running Shoes

Rachel had played field hockey at Bucknell University for four years, appearing in 63 games before graduating in 2024. During her freshman season, she scored twice against Lafayette and earned two Patriot League awards.

She was just as dedicated to her studies, later earning a place on the Patriot League Academic All-League Team. After graduation, she worked at TE Connectivity and began pursuing an MBA, while continuing to make time for sports.

Despite her busy schedule, Rachel spent months preparing for her first 26.2-mile race. On November 1, she finally got to put that training to the test, with Michelle and her friends cheering her on in New York.

His Messages Began to Change

Steve had been texting Rachel throughout the marathon, sending encouragement as she reached different mile markers. Earlier in the morning, she had sounded particularly excited, telling him how well things were going.

Her father reminded her not to push too hard because this was her first marathon. His main concern wasn't her finishing time — he simply wanted his daughter to complete the race safely.

But as Rachel approached Mile 18, Steve received a message that sounded very different from the cheerful updates earlier in the day. His daughter wrote "UGG," suggesting she was starting to struggle.

Steve tried to reassure her and encouraged her to slow down. He knew she had already covered a long distance, and he wanted her to be careful rather than worry about her pace.

Then came another message, this time more direct. Rachel wrote "ow, ow," and her father immediately urged her to take it easy.

The exchange continued briefly, with Steve reminding her not to overdo it. But soon, Rachel stopped replying, even as her father continued sending messages.

As Rachel approached the final miles, Steve kept texting her, hoping she would see his encouragement. He later recalled wanting to give her little reminders that he was still there, watching her progress.

At Miles 21, 22, and 23, he continued sending messages, even without a response. One of his reminders was "All finish, not speed," telling Rachel that getting to the end mattered more than how quickly she ran.

Although she wasn't replying, Steve could still see her location moving on the tracking app. He watched as his daughter passed another mile marker and moved closer to the finish.

Then, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the tracking app stopped updating near Mile 24. Rachel had been running for hours, and now her location wasn't changing.

Steve sent another message, but there was still no reply. His daughter was only a little more than two miles from finishing the marathon, yet he could no longer follow her progress.

Michelle and Rachel's friends were waiting farther along the route when Steve contacted his wife and asked her to look for their daughter. Something was wrong, and Michelle began searching the course for the young woman she had seen smiling earlier that afternoon.

A Stranger Reached Rachel Before Her Family Could

Michelle headed back toward Mile 24, calling out for Rachel and looking for any sign of her. She had expected to watch her daughter run past one final time, but someone else had already witnessed her collapse.

Michaela Nicholas, a 28-year-old hospital social worker, had been watching the marathon with her fiancé. She was cheering for runners as they passed, calling out encouragement to participants whose names she could read on their race bibs.

When Rachel came into view, Nicholas called out to encourage her. Seconds after passing the couple, the 24-year-old suddenly fell to the ground.

Nicholas's fiancé immediately began shouting for medical assistance, while she rushed toward Rachel. Other spectators stopped to help, and someone called 911 as people nearby realized how serious the situation was.

As other spectators began performing CPR, Nicholas remained beside Rachel. She couldn't provide the emergency medical care the young woman needed, but she could offer something else: a hand to hold.

Nicholas held Rachel's hand and spoke to her, reassuring her that she wasn't alone. She later recalled telling her that she was loved, while praying for her as others desperately tried to save her life.

Medical personnel arrived and continued resuscitation efforts, including the use of a defibrillator. Rachel was eventually transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors would continue fighting to save her.

Meanwhile, Michelle was still looking for her daughter near the place where the tracking app had stopped. When she arrived, an emergency worker told her that Rachel had collapsed and had already been taken away in an ambulance.

Michelle was taken to Mount Sinai in another ambulance, leaving behind the marathon route where she had planned to celebrate with her daughter. Just hours earlier, she had been cheering for Rachel; now she was rushing to a hospital.

When Steve learned what had happened, he got into his car and drove from Pennsylvania toward New York. The father who had spent the morning watching his daughter's progress was now racing to reach her bedside.

The News No Parent Was Prepared to Hear

At Mount Sinai, doctors worked for hours to save Rachel, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The 24-year-old was pronounced dead at approximately 9:40 p.m. on November 1, leaving her family devastated.

Steve struggled to understand how his daughter, who had spent much of her life playing competitive sports, could die so suddenly. He described Rachel as being in "perfect health" before the race and could hardly believe what had happened.

Doctors told the family that Rachel's death might have involved rhabdomyolysis, a rare but dangerous condition in which muscle tissue begins to break down. However, the medical examiner had not yet confirmed her official cause of death as of November 3.

Rhabdomyolysis happens when damaged muscles release harmful substances into the blood. Those substances can damage the kidneys and, in severe cases, become life-threatening.

The condition can sometimes develop after extreme physical exertion, even in people who exercise regularly. Symptoms may include severe muscle pain, weakness, and unusually dark urine, although Rachel's exact medical circumstances were still being investigated.

For Steve, the shock was difficult to put into words. His daughter had trained for months, had a long history in sports, and had seemed so happy earlier in the day.

As Steve spoke about losing Rachel, he kept returning to the messages they had exchanged during the marathon. He remembered her complaints of pain, the unanswered texts, and the moment her location stopped moving.

But there was one earlier message that he couldn't forget. It had arrived long before Rachel began struggling, when she was still feeling so good that she wanted her father to know.

The Morning Message Her Father Still Remembers

Looking back on that Sunday, Steve recalled how differently the day had begun. At approximately 11:30 a.m., when Rachel was approaching Mile 9, she had been in high spirits, happily exchanging messages with him.

At one point, she sent "Hey, go," a familiar phrase they had shared over the years. It was part of their usual father-daughter encouragement, just another small exchange during what was supposed to be a wonderful day.

Rachel then told Steve "I feel amazing," explaining that she believed the carbohydrate-rich meals she'd eaten before the race were helping her stay energized. She sounded confident and pleased with how her first marathon was going.

And then came the five words that her father would remember after losing her. Rachel wrote:

"I've never felt this good."

Steve had responded with encouragement but reminded Rachel not to push herself too hard. He wanted her to enjoy the experience and focus on finishing safely, rather than worrying about how quickly she could complete the course.

He also reminded her that Michelle would be waiting along the route to cheer her on. At that moment, the family was still looking forward to celebrating Rachel's first marathon together.

Those five words weren't literally Rachel's final message, because she later texted her father about the pain she was experiencing. But they were among her last expressions of happiness before the marathon took its devastating turn.

For Steve, the exchange had become part of the memories he now carried of his daughter. Only hours separated "I've never felt this good" from the moment her family began desperately searching for her.

The Reason Rachel Ran Hasn't Been Forgotten

In the days following Rachel's death, her fundraiser for the Parkinson's Foundation received an outpouring of support. Donations quickly surpassed her original $4,000 goal, reaching more than $21,000 by November 3.

Rachel had launched the fundraiser to honor her grandfather, who died after battling Parkinson's disease. Although she never reached the marathon finish line, the cause she cared about continued receiving support after her death.

Tributes also came from Bucknell University and the wider athletic community, where Rachel had spent years building friendships and earning recognition. Her former school, teammates, and colleagues were left mourning a young woman who had accomplished so much at only 24.

New York Road Runners, the organization behind the marathon, also expressed its condolences to Rachel's family and friends. The tragedy saddened the running community, which had gathered in New York for what was supposed to be a day of celebration.

For Steve and Michelle, however, the loss was far more personal than any public tribute. Rachel was their eldest child, their only daughter, and the young woman they had watched grow from a little girl who loved sports into someone with a promising future.

Michelle had gone to New York expecting to celebrate her daughter's first marathon, while Steve had remained home, cheering her on through his phone. Instead, both parents were left with memories of a day that had changed their family forever.

When Steve was asked what he wanted to say about Rachel, his answer was simple.

"That I love her. That's it," he said.

Rachel had set out to honor her grandfather through something she loved doing. Her family never got the finish-line celebration they had been waiting for, but her fundraising effort continued helping the cause that had meant so much to her.

And for her father, there would always be those five words, sent on a Sunday morning when his daughter was still smiling, running, and looking forward to everything that lay ahead.