NYC Marathon Runner Dies After She Collapses Near Finish Line

Tragedy struck Sunday's New York City marathon after a young woman running the race collapsed and died a mere 2 miles from the finish line.

The New York Times reports Rachel Apa was running in her first marathon with her Parkinson’s Champions team to honor her late grandfather, who passed away from the disease in 2022. 

As she was closing in on the finish line, Apa suddenly collapsed, and a hospital social worker watching the marathon rushed over to give CPR along with Apa's fiancée, the NYT said.

But nothing could be done to save Apa, a former field hockey player for Bucknell University, who had trained for months for the 26-plus mile run and was in “perfect health, perfect shape,” according to her father, Steve Apa.

The Times says Steve was tracking his daughter’s movements using the marathon app, and Apa's mom, Michelle, shot a video of her when she arrived at the 14th mile mark -- and she was "beaming."

Apa sent 2 text messages to her dad saying "Ow" at the 18th and 19th miles -- and her dad texted back at the 23rd mile saying "Final stretch." He never received a response.

A rep for the NYC Medical Examiner's Office tells TMZ ... On Monday, doctors performed an autopsy on APA, but her cause and manner of death are pending further study.

Apa was 24.