Spectator who held collapsed runner, 24, told her she 'wasn't alone' in her final moments at the New York Marathon
Rachel Apa had been running to raise money for the Parkinson's Foundation in honour of her grandfather, who died of the disease in 2022.
Rachel Apa, 24, who had played field hockey at Bucknell University, collapsed at mile 24 of her debut New York City Marathon on 1 November and later died in hospital from rhabdomyolysis — a rare condition in which proteins released by damaged muscle tissue poison the bloodstream. Her father Steve had been sending her encouragement at every mile marker; the last message she sent back, at mile 19, read 'Ow ow.' Spectator Michaela Nicholas ran to her side when Apa went down near 85th Street in Central Park and held her hand throughout.
Apa had been raising money for the Parkinson's Foundation in memory of her grandfather, whom she called her 'role model.'
Rhabdomyolysis kills around 1,500 Americans a year, with kidney failure and cardiac arrest its deadliest complications.
Survivor Madina Alam, 34, recalled her arms swelling by 12 pounds after pull-ups — and not seeking help for four days, thinking she could push through.
