Context : The collapsar model for long gamma-ray bursts requires a rapidly rotating Wolf-Rayet star as progenitor .

Aims : We test the idea of producing rapidly rotating Wolf-Rayet stars in massive close binaries through mass accretion and consecutive quasi-chemically homogeneous evolution — the latter had previously been shown to provide collapsars below a certain metallicity threshold .

Methods : We use a 1-D hydrodynamic binary evolution code to simulate the evolution of a 16+15 M _ { \sun } binary model with an initial orbital period of 5 days and SMC metallicity ( Z=0.004 ) .
Internal differential rotation , rotationally induced mixing and magnetic fields are included in both components , as well as non-conservative mass and angular momentum transfer , and tidal spin-orbit coupling .

Results : The considered binary system undergoes early Case B mass transfer .
The mass donor becomes a helium star and dies as a Type Ib/c supernova .
The mass gainer is spun-up , and internal magnetic fields efficiently transport accreted angular momentum into the stellar core .
The orbital widening prevents subsequent tidal synchronization , and the mass gainer rejuvenates and evolves quasi-chemically homogeneously thereafter .
The mass donor explodes 7 Myr before the collapse of the mass gainer .
Assuming the binary to be broken-up by the supernova kick , the potential gamma-ray burst progenitor would become a runaway star with a space velocity of 27 { km } { s } ^ { -1 } , traveling about 200 pc during its remaining lifetime .

Conclusions : The binary channel presented here does not , as such , provide a new physical model for collapsar production , as the resulting stellar models are almost identical to quasi-chemically homogeneously evolving rapidly rotating single stars .
However , it may provide a means for massive stars to obtain the required high rotation rates .
Moreover , it suggests that a possibly large fraction of long gamma-ray bursts occurs in runaway stars .