The day after she collapsed with less than a half a mile to go in the Marathon Derby, Karen Adams reflected on her most agonising moment in the Heritage Day race.

A year ago a muscle pull forced her to withdraw from the race, but this time it was the intense humidity that dashed her hopes.

What made it all the more painful was that she was near the traffic lights outside the Tennis Stadium -- achingly close to the finish line.

Adams was rushed to hospital by ambulance where she was kept for 90 minutes before being released.

Muscle problems can affect anybody, but Adams was caught completely off guard by the dehydration, especially since she is a personal trainer at the Athletic Club and well aware of how the problem can affect others.

"I don't know what happened, I basically did a Maria, '' she said, referring to the incident of a year ago when champion Maria Conroy Haydon also collapsed as a result of dehydration near the fire station in Hamilton.

"I can totally sympathise with Maria because you just have no idea that it's going to happen at all. Even when you are not feeling well you say to yourself that you are nearing (the finish line) and should just keep going,'' she added.

Adams believed she had greatly reduced her chances of becoming dehydrated during the race by regularly taking water over the previous three days. And she also made regular stops along the route to ensure there would be no problems.

A frequent victim of excercise-induced asthma, she experienced breathing problems on reaching the top of Inverurie Hill and from there until the end it was "a real battle''.

"My breathing became more laboured as I continued on Harbour Road to Hamilton and I felt a little uncomfortable, especially when I failed to recover as I normally would,'' she said.

"I managed to keep my pace and my legs were fine, but as I came into Hamilton I was beginning to feel hotter and when I reached the Market Place on Church Street I realised things were just not right.'' Adams fought hard to finish, but she was struck by more pain as she went from King Street and down to Victoria Street.

"My neck muscles got extremely tight and I couldn't hold my head straight, I consciously eased my pace and entered Cedar Avenue and eventually started to walk and that's the last thing I remember,'' she said.

"With this race you always expect to run 10 to 11 miles and then hang on and I didn't do anything different than that. But this time I guess the humidity was simply too much for me.'' Adams finished third and second in the first two years she ran the 13.3 mile course.

Uncommitted about next year, she confessed that if she does run she will need to be more active going into the event.

"If I'm fit I wouldn't be discouraged from running. I have learned from this experience,'' she said.

Prizegiving presentations for the Marathon Derby will take place next Saturday evening, June 3, at the Leopards Club in Hamilton.

KAREN ADAMS -- collapsed less than a mile from the finish.