Runner, 24, dies after collapsing 2 miles from New York City Marathon finish

A 24-year-old runner died during Sunday s New York City Marathon after collapsing near mile 24, just two miles shy of crossing the finish line. The NYPD confirmed the young woman experienced a medical episode around Central Park, where runners take the final miles of the 26.2-mile course. Medics rushed the woman to Mt. Sinai Hospital around 2 p.m., where she was pronounced dead several hours later. The New York Times identified the woman as Rachel Apa, a Pennsylvania native running her first marathon. She was fundraising for Parkinson s in memory of her late grandfather, according to a fundraising page. My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement, the page said. Apa s father told The Times that his daughter died of rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition that causes your muscles to break down. New York Road Runners, the organization behind the annual marathon, conf