The death of 24-year-old marathon runner Rachel Apa, who collapsed just 3 km short of the finish line during the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2026, has raised concerns about the risks of endurance running. Participating in her first marathon, Apa reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest. According to her father, doctors later attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving severe muscle breakdown. The incident raises an important question: Can extreme physical exertion pose similar risks to otherwise healthy runners?

Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Minimal Invasive/Robotic Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine Specialist Dr Gazanfar Patel of Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, explains how prolonged endurance activity can trigger rhabdomyolysis, why it can affect the heart, and which warning signs runners should never ignore.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.…