In years to come the world of athletics will talk about the invincibility of the great Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, why they called him the Emperor. Then they'll mention the changing of the guard.

It came in Edmonton, on a night worthy of the occasion. Rarely has 10,000 metres of running provided a more epic drama, written out over 25 ever-changing laps. In the end those in the stands were as breathless as those on the track.

After four consecutive world titles going back to 1993 and two Olympic titles and the world record in between, Gebrselassie was finally beaten. It was his first loss at the distance in eight years, and though heartbreaking for the horde of Ethiopian fans that filled one corner of the Commonwealth Stadium, it was not unexpected.

Charles Kamathi, the equally diminutive 23-year-old who held off the usually fatal kick of Gebrselassie on the last lap, is one of the coolest talents ever to emerge from Kenya. Less than two years ago he left his country for the first time to run 26 minutes 51.49 seconds in Brussels, the fifth fastest ever, and in winning the Kenyan trials in June he clocked 27:47.33, the fastest ever at high altitude.

Yet while Kamathi earned the win, breaking to the front for one of the more decisive late-race surges, the preparations of Gebrselassie were dangerously limited. Recovering from surgery for most of the winter, he hadn't had a race of any sort since winning the gold in Sydney last year.

He had hoped for a test in the heats but they were cancelled and all 28 runners, rather irresponsibly, were let into the final. At least 10 different men tested their form at the front, including the great Ethiopian, but with more than half of those left as the bell approached, it was clear that gold would be decided on the last lap.

For a while Gebrselassie's countryman Assefa Mezegebu seemed the sharper threat, but Kamathi swept past them both. Unlike Sydney last year, and so many times before, Gebrselassie had no further gears and instead faded to third. The Kenyan had a quick glance to his side before raising his hand but the gold was his, in 27:53.25.

After Mezegebu (27:53.97) came a tired Gebrselassie, in 27:54.41, over a minute and a half slower than his world record.

"Well of course I'm not disappointed, why should I be? I tried my best in the last 100 metres but I just don't know what happened. And I felt quite confident until the last lap. The Kenyan really surprised me. I was not expecting that to happen."

Never one to make excuses, Gebrselassie apparently had further problems approaching the race. According to his manager Jos Hermens, he had been in the medical clinic three nights before suffering with flu, and although he felt better on Wednesday night, the effects may have been a factor.

At 28, Gebrselassie still has some good years ahead though he now intends to start training for the marathon. And so he leaves behind a winning streak at the distance that may never be repeated.

For the moment, Kamathi is known as the man that ended that sequence, but it may also herald a period of Kenyan dominance.

The Kenyan's lap of celebration took on added meaning as it finally ended the string of defeats inflicted on the nation by the consistency of their Ethiopian rival. Had he won his fifth straight gold, Gebrselassie would have been second only to the Ukrainian Sergei Bubka, who won a record six consecutive titles in the pole vault up to 1997.

One man who did win his fifth title, though not in succession, was Lars Riedel. The hulking 34-year-old German regained the discus title he won four times previously, before taking bronze in Seville two years ago. With a fifth round throw of 69.72 metres, a championship record, Riedel saw off the daunting challenge of Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna (bodyguard to the Lithuanian prime minister) and fellow German Michael Mollenbeck, who threw 67.61m to take third.

But a lesser-known German became the new face in the high jump. Martin Buss, a 25-year-old with a slim championship record, outclassed three former Olympic champions and the title-holder to win in 2.36 metres, the highest jump of his life.