Father shares final texts from 24-year-old runner who collapsed during NYC marathon

Rachel Apa died Sunday before she could cross the finish line during her first marathon.

The 24-year-old woman experienced a medical episode near mile marker 24 in Central Park during the New York City Marathon on Sunday afternoon, her father confirmed to NBC News. The New York Police Department said that emergency medical workers took the woman to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, where she died hours later.

Her father, Steve Apa, called the situation “unfathomable.”

Steve said his wife, Michelle, and two of his daughter’s friends spent Sunday traversing the five boroughs to follow Rachel, a former Division I field hockey player, as she ran her first marathon. He opted to follow along on the app from home in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.

He said he spoke to Rachel before she started running and said she was “so excited about it.” During the race, they stayed in touch by exchanging short text messages.

The first text came around 11:30 a.m., when Rachel was at the 9-mile mark. “Hey, go,” she wrote, referring to a mantra the pair have shared for years and a nod to Steve’s days playing football at Lehigh University.

“I feel amazing,” she then wrote, chalking it…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports