# Marathon runner's death raises questions about rhabdomyolysis

> A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman collapsed at the New York City Marathon on November 1 and died from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition triggered by extreme exercise.
- Title: Marathon runner's death raises questions about rhabdomyolysis
- Summary: A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman collapsed at the New York City Marathon on November 1 and died from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition triggered by extreme…
- Keywords: rhabdomyolysis, rachel apa, new york city marathon, exercise-induced injury, muscle breakdown, kidney damage, TIME
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/11/05/what-is-rhabdomyolysis-linked-to-new-york-city-marathon-death
- Author: Veronique Greenwood
- Published: 2026-11-05T17:05:36.894+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rhabdomyolysis, rachel apa, new york city marathon, exercise-induced injury, muscle breakdown, kidney damage
## Runner dies after marathon collapse
Rachel Apa, twenty-four, from Pennsylvania collapsed near the finish of the New York City Marathon on November one.She died later that day despite treatment.
## What is rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis is a process where muscle cells break down and die, releasing toxic contents into the bloodstream.These substances can injure the kidneys and sometimes the heart.Triggers include injuries, drug side effects, and extreme exercise.

> By doing so, they release their contents, which can be quite toxic to the body and to the kidney.
## Heat and temperature shifts raise risk
Temperature is a major risk factor.When exercising in heat and humidity, the body may not cool quickly enough to prevent muscle damage.Sudden temperature shifts are harder to handle than gradual changes.
## Twenty twenty-two marathon saw spike in cases
In April, Dr. Douglas Farrell and colleagues published a paper on a worrying trend. Twenty-four people who ran in the two thousand twenty-two New York City Marathon had rhabdomyolysis treated at nearby hospitals, compared with…
## Predicting who will get it is difficult
Most people who run marathons do not develop rhabdomyolysis, no matter the temperature. Dr. Marie Vangstad of Oslo University Hospital says the most important risk factor is unusually strenuous or unaccustomed exercise, particularly sudden increases…

> It is difficult to predict who will develop exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis before a race.
## Deaths from the condition are exceedingly rare
Deaths from exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis are exceedingly rare, according to Vangstad and Farrell.None of the patients from Farrell's paper on the two thousand twenty-two marathon died.

> Overall, exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis generally has a very good prognosis, and serious complications are rare.
## Key takeaway

Rachel Apa, twenty-four, died after collapsing near the finish of the New York City Marathon on November first, with her father linking her death to rhabdomyolysis, a condition where damaged muscle tissue harms the kidneys.