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What Is Rhabdo?

Why Is It So Dangerous?

How Running Could Lead to Rhabdo

What Else Could Lead to Rhabdo

The Warning Signs All Runners Should Know

Shortly after the New York City Marathon , tragic news broke: A 24-year-old runner, Rachel Apa , collapsed on the course and died in the hospital after doctors worked for six hours to save her life, according to the New York Times . Apa’s father told NYT the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis (a.k.a. rhabdo).

The news is shocking and saddening—as well as unsettling. Questions are popping up from runners on social media as to how something like this could happen to a young woman who was reportedly a former Division I field hockey player at Bucknell University and had spent months training for the marathon.

To help answer some of those questions, we talked to doctors to explain what runners need to know about rhabdo, and how to stay safe.

What Is Rhabdo?

First, know that rhabdo is relatively rare and dying from it is even rarer.…