Thousands of runners took part in the Rock 'n' Roll marathon in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday morning, amid extremely testing conditions.
Faced with extreme warmth and humidity, medical officials made the decision to divert runners on the course because of the dangers posed.
"We did implement a comprehensive heat plan, which included water misters, sponge stations, and air-conditioned cooling buses along the course," marathon staff said in a statement. "Unfortunately, these tough running conditions were deemed excessive and dangerous."
Despite the heat and the diverted track, a lot of runners were still able to cross the finish line.
Some, though, required a little extra assistance: When one runner took a tumble in the final stretch, a local cop ran with him to help him achieve his goal.
Sgt. John Cain of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department told BuzzFeed News he spotted the runner fall about 100 yards from the finish line. Medical workers told the runner he needed to stop, and the man was heartbroken.
"My heart started bleeding for him," Cain said, "so I asked the EMTs if I could walk him to the finish line, would that be OK, and they said OK and followed behind."
"I helped pick him up and tears were coming from his eyes and we walked towards the finish. You could almost feel the happiness coming from him," the 28-year veteran officer said.
The pair ran for the final few yards as the crowd cheered.
"It was just one of those human moments when you connect with someone to help them finish a goal," Cain said. "I wanted to help him because it meant so much to him."