Callum Hawkins collapsed in extreme heat during the Gold Coast 2018 marathon ©Getty Images

Scotland's Callum Hawkins has defended Australian rival Mike Shelley for running past him during the Commonwealth Games marathon in Gold Coast rather than stop and offer assistance after he collapsed in extreme heat.

Hawkins had looked on course to claim an impressive victory after pulling two minutes clear of the rest of the field before he staggered and eventually collapsed to the floor with little more than one mile to go.

An attempt to refuse help and clamber back to his feet proved unsuccessful and the 25-year-old was still prostrate on the ground when defending champion Shelley came past him.

The Scot was unable to finish and was swiftly taken to hospital but has now defended his rival in the face of online abuse.

"There was a medical person with me so what could he actually do?" Hawkins told BBC Scotland.

"He's 40 kilometres into tough conditions, he's probably just hanging on and that's where all his concentration is. 

"By all accounts he was pretty on the edge by the finish.

"He could have looked down and it could have hit him 'that could be me' and then he just explodes in similar fashion."

Hawkins, who did not initially receive medical attention, revealed how he had already spoken to International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) officials, including the body's President Sebastian Coe, about the incident.

Commonwealth Games Scotland have already raised concerns about the amount of time it took for Hawkins to receive assistance.

Callum Hawkins led the Commonwealth Games marathon before his collapse ©Getty Images
Callum Hawkins led the Commonwealth Games marathon before his collapse ©Getty Images

"To have information about the road temperature is going to be a big thing," he said. 

"The weather apps were saying 28C but probably on the road, in the sun, it was 35C plus.

"There needs to be something in place if they know it's going to be hot. 

"The IAAF say they want to standardise everything, so there is more control."

Hawkins also said that he was frustrated watching replays at missing an opportunity and is vowing to return and make amends at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He said that his first question to ambulance staff concerned whether he had won the race.

"It [the TV footage] doesn't affect me too much," Hawkins added to BBC Scotland.

"It's more annoying that I managed to put myself in that place because, if I hadn't, I'd have won a medal. It reminds me of the opportunity I missed.

"I put six months of work in to try and get a medal, so to miss out in that manner is frustrating.

"The conditions in Tokyo (2020 Olympics) will be similar.

"If anything it's made me hungrier - I don't want to be known as the guy who keeled over because of the heat, I want to be known as the guy who's got a gold medal."