Holding a two minute lead with just over a mile to go in the Commonwealth Games marathon earlier this month, Callum Hawkins's body began to break down in the Australian heat.
The Scottish athlete collapsed due to heat exhaustion while in the gold medal position and was eventually taken from the course by ambulance.
That was after he had fallen to the kerb, but managed to regain his uprightness briefly before again collapsing, this time hitting his head on a roadside railing.
Medical staff took a relative eternity to arrive. On commentary for the BBC, Steve Cram called the lax reaction "disgraceful". The 25-year-old was subsequently taken to Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment.
Speaking to BBC Scotland this week, Hawkins addressed what happened during the race.
"I remember thinking 'If I can just get up and finish, I'll probably get a medal but if three people go past then I'll throw the towel in'," said Hawkins.
But I don't remember getting up and actually running those extra metres.
I'd run the course a few weeks before and when I saw the bridge I knew I had a mile, a mile-and-a-half to go. I just needed to keep going and I'd get the medal.
Then the next thing I know, my legs are almost switching off on me and I'm starting to stumble.
I remember falling off the side of the road and trying my best to get back up but my legs were like jelly. Next thing I remember is being in an ambulance.
While in the ambulance, a delirious Hawkins enquired if he had won the race.
"The first thing I asked was, 'Did I win?' because I thought there might have been a chance that I went on autopilot and finished it.
"But nobody answered me and I knew straight away, eh that’s a no."
Following Hawkins's withdrawal, Australian Michael Shelley went on to win the race while fellow Scot Robbie Simpson won bronze.
"To hear Robbie got third actually helped me a lot. I was really pleased for him and it sort of lightened everything.
"Mike sent me a message saying, 'that's not the way I wanted to win and that he hopes I get back racing soon'."
