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New York City Marathon: Woman, 24, Dies After Collapsing Near Finish Line

A 24-year-old woman collapsed in Central Park during her first New York City Marathon and later died. Her father cites rhabdomyolysis, a muscle breakdown condition; the official cause of death is still pending.

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Automatically translated from German · may contain errors · Read the original

Collage: on the left, a woman holds up bib number 29977 with the name "Rachel" to the camera; on the right, she runs down a street, waving.
Runner with bib number 29977 at the New York Marathon, where a 24-year-old collapsed in Central Park and died in hospital that evening.

A 24-year-old woman died after collapsing during the New York City Marathon. She collapsed in Central Park on Sunday, Nov. 1, about two miles from the finish line and died that evening at a hospital. It was her first marathon.

Her father described the day of the race to The New York Times. He said his daughter had complained of severe pain starting at Mile 18, after about 29 kilometers, and had sent him a text message reading "Ow."

At around 1:30 p.m. local time, the runner collapsed at Mile 24, after nearly 39 kilometers. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. According to her father, she died there at 9:40 p.m. local time.

Official cause of death still pending

The father gave rhabdomyolysis as the cause of death, saying the diagnosis came from the treating doctors. The medical examiner performed an autopsy on Monday; according to a spokeswoman, the cause and manner of death remain undetermined and further tests are needed. In rhabdomyolysis, muscle tissue breaks down, components of the muscle cells enter the bloodstream and can damage the kidneys.

The New York City Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause of death; according to a spokeswoman, the initial autopsy was inconclusive, and further investigations are under way.

The organizer, New York Road Runners, said in a statement that it was deeply saddened by the runner's death. According to the organizer, the last medically related death at the race occurred at the 2024 marathon.

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