On a warm Sunday morning in the spring of 2003, Paula Radcliffe stood on the start line of the London Marathon. She was the world record holder, but that was not enough.
She wanted to go faster than the 2:17:18 she had run in Chicago a few months earlier and now in front of her was the 26.2 miles that would shape the destiny of her life.
Radcliffe recalled that morning, that day, that outcome - a stunning new world record time of 2:15:25 which remains untouched - as she sat talking in London on Wednesday at the start of her farewell week to competitive running.
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She is 41, she remains in good shape and this Sunday she will return, for the first time in a decade, to the place of her dreams as she take part in her final ‘race’ when, once again, she is back on that start line in that London Marathon.
Only this time it will be different.
She will not be among the elite, but with the British Championship runners and while she will be looking for a good time, the clock is not the important bit.
'The London marathon has been such an inspiration to me,' said Radcliffe. 'I know I am not going to be competitive but to get one more chance to get involved in this race one more time is something that is really special.'
In an ever-changing athletics world of fresh talent, and growing standards, the women’s marathon record time remains as unbeatable as it was 12 years ago when Radcliffe produced the performance of her life.
As David Bedford, the former 10,000 world record-holder and ex-London Marathon race director, said: 'I don’t think we’ll see that time broken in 25 years.'
So what was the difference in Radcliffe taking it to such a level?
I don't think I had any more talent than anyone else. There are people around now who have more talent but I had this stubbornness. Even when I had the race won I wanted to see how fast I could go. Maybe it was the mindset and the luck of my body being able to withstand the training I put in over all those years.
The now-mother of two seized her moment in 2003 and this time she is going to relish taking the best of every step along the way when in the past it has been all about the head-down desire to win.
It was back in the mid-1980s when Radcliffe fell in love with the London Marathon, watching as her father ran and seeing the brilliant Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen break the world record on the course when she ran 2:21:06 in 1985.
Now Radcliffe is going to bow out happy knowing she had a fantastic career.
She has been to Kenya and the preparation, despite an Achilles injury scare, has gone well.
But it is about the occasion, where at the end she will receive the inaugural John Disley London Marathon Lifetime Achievement award.
Truly honoured #thankyouLondon https://t.co/0KdterfVMY
— Paula Radcliffe (@paulajradcliffe) April 22, 2015
'I want to finish with a smile on my face but I will definitely be savouring the atmosphere,' said Radcliffe. 'It's my first time to get the chance to run in the middle of the mass race. It will be a new experience.'
And one she will remember for the rest of her life.