An NYC Marathon runner died suddenly at 24. Her family says the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare risk that can even affect fit athletes.

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An NYC Marathon runner died suddenly at 24. Her family says the cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare risk that can even affect fit athletes.

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Spectators observe runners vie in Central Park during the 2026 Marathon in New York City on November 1, 2026. The 26.2-mile competition passes through all five boroughs, commencement in Staten Island and finishing in Central Park. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images)

A female died following collapsing at the New York City Marathon from a rare flank consequence of difficult exercise called rhabdomyolysis. kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images

A 24-year-old female who died following the New York City Marathon on Sunday was suffering from a rare flank consequence of exercise called rhabdomyolysis, her family said.

Rachel Apa, an informed D1 site hockey sportsperson who spent months training for the race, crumbled near mile 24 in Central Park and was taken by ambulance to the hospital, her begetter told The New York Times.

Apa was a merchandise director for an digital manufacturing company. Earlier this year, she posted on LinkedIn that she was operating the marathon to lift prosperity for the Parkinson's Foundation, in regard of her grandfather.

The New York Road Runners, the collection that organizes the marathon, and Apa's family did not immediately react to a petition for comment from Business Insider.

Rhabdomyolysis, known as rhabdo, is a hazard of extended strenuous exercise caused by muscle tissue breaking downward and overloading the kidneys.

Without immediate medicinal treatment, it can be life-threatening. Here's what to cognize concerning rhabdo, including the symptoms to appearance out for and how to forestall it.

What is rhabdomyolysis and what causes it?

Rhabdomyolysis can happen following serious muscle hurt or serious exertion. As damaged muscle tissue breaks down, it releases compounds into the bloodstream that the kidneys typically display out.

In rare cases, those byproducts can overwhelm the kidneys and guide to kidney damage or acute kidney failure.

About 26,000 cases of rhabdo are reported in the US all year, investigation suggests.

Anyone can endure from rhabdo, but factors akin hot environments and dehydration can addition the risk, according to Cleveland Clinic.

While it's mostly not common, cases of rhabdo are frequently caused by high-intensity exercise or lengthy endurance sessions without rest. For instance, investigation has earlier connected cases of rhabdo to marathons (particularly during elevated temperatures) and vigorous rotation classes.

It's additionally increasingly a involvement for the military, which is operating to place rhabdo in troops additional quickly.

What are the symptoms of rhabdo?

Symptoms of rhabdo contain fatigue, muscle cramps or unexpected pain, and dark-colored urine, which can display up hours or days following exercise, according to the CDC.

Rhabdo can be diagnosed alongside a lifeblood test and treated alongside IV fluids to assistance flush out the discarded products.

To forestall rhabdo, evade pushing too difficult during exercise, obtain breaks as needed, and beverage plentifulness of water, particularly in hot, humid weather.

This part is not a substitute for expert medicinal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified doctor or healthcare provider.

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Gabby is a Health Correspondent alongside a concentration on nutrition, fitness, longevity, and all things performance.Her safety spans from the regular routines of top athletes akin Michael Phelps and Coco Gauff to the latest cutting-edge discipline on construction muscle to the increase of peptides, supplements, and GLP medications. She loves a profound dive into fitness subcultures, health companies, or the discipline rearward managing and preventing disease, particularly early-onset cancers. Gabby has a backdrop in investigative reporting (previously contributing investigation for an investigation on correctional healthcare for the New Yorker).In her liberated time, she likes lifting heavy, operating fast, and playing roller derby for Gotham in New York City.Send narrative ideas and tips to [email protected].Expertise/Interests

  • Longevity: how to dial in a regular routine to allocate in long-term health, and what makes several of the longest-living group on earth energetic and vibrant as they age.
  • Performance science: training techniques for goals ranging from muscle-building (hypertrophy), broad bodily preparedness, endurance, and hurt prevention, particularly for fitness beginners. 
  • Cancer research: unpacking the discipline rearward why certain cancers are on the increase in younger people, how it's affecting the earth about us, and what we can do concerning it. 
  • Healthy eating: how to navigate conflicting and contradictory direction throughout trends akin protein-maxxing, intermittent fasting, and the Mediterranean, Nordic, and MIND diets.
  • Medical importance loss: how emerging discipline about treatments akin GLP medications are shaping the connections between food, weight, and health. 
  • Digital wellness: examining how telehealth is changing admission to healthcare, including through peptides, hormones, and direct-to-consumer lab tests. 
  • Strength sports, including Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, Hyrox, and CrossFit. 

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