Bekele a shoo-in for title of best over cross country

Kenenisa Bekele regained his world cross country title here in Holyrood Park yesterday – but only after regaining a shoe which was partially dislodged from his foot midway through the first of six laps as he negotiated one of the many tight bends on this slippery, 12km course in close proximity to two Kenyan rivals.

The world and Olympic 10,000m champion lost nearly 25 metres as he bent to untie the laces on his shoe and do them back up again. But it transpired that he was stooping to conquer: as he moved swiftly back towards the front and eventually saw off the determined challenge of the man who ran him to a standstill in the corresponding event in the stifling heat of Mombasa last year, Zersenay Tadesse, to secure a record sixth long-course gold.

While the host nation missed many of the leading British runners such as double champion Paula Radcliffe, Jo Pavey and Mo Farah, the international spectacle was a historic one. And those Brits who had chosen to compete on home soil produced several commendable performances, notably the 15th place earned by Radcliffe's old training partner, Liz Yelling, and the 16th and 17th positions filled in the junior race by, respectively, Charlotte Purdue and Laura Park.

The defending senior men's champion from Eritrea, Tadesse, had transformed the bunched field into a straggling line with a massive effort from the halfway point, but by the time Haggis Knowe was climbed for the fourth and final time, the Ethiopian had earned himself the solitude of impending victory.

As he crossed the line, watched by his wife Danawit Gebregziabher, Bekele raised his arms in triumph and embraced a unique achievement by surpassing the total of five long-course victories secured by the Kenyan greats, John Ngugi and Paul Tergat.

Considering he had also won the now discontinued five consecutive short-course titles before this event reverted to its single race format, Bekele could justly claim to be the greatest cross-country runner in history. "I have won double gold medals five times at this competition but this one is very special to me," Bekele said. "Everybody all over the world was expecting me to win. But it was very tough. In a group, you cannot control your legs – maybe somebody might touch the back of your legs and your shoe comes off. But it was at the beginning of the race. I wasn't tired and I was able to recover."

Tadesse, streaked with mud and pouring sweat, presented a resigned figure at the end after striving to live up to the on-course support provided by his numerous flag-waving fellow countrymen.

"I had to push very hard to try and win, but I could not do it," he said after finishing third behind Kenya's Leonard Komon, adding that he had not realised that his great Ethiopian rival had come to temporary grief five minutes into the race.

Bekele's return was mirrored by that of his team. After the calamity of Mombasa, where Ethiopia's long run of success in the men's and women's senior events came to an abrupt halt, normal service was resumed. Tirunesh Dibaba, beaten in Kenya, also regained her pre-eminence, matching the three world cross victories previously achieved by her aunt, Derartu Tulu. Dibaba's younger sister, Genzebe, had earlier won the junior title. "It was partly in order to match her [sister's] achievement that I put everything I had into today's race," said the elder sister, who overhauled her compatriot Gelete Burka on the final lap. The Ethiopians' individual clean sweep was completed by Ibrahim Jeilan in the junior men's race. Yelling, who will now do the Flora London Marathon, admitted afterwards that she had been nettled by the amount of criticism there had been about British absences.

"I'm cross the media didn't celebrate the people that were taking part and instead focused on the people that weren't. I think people shouldn't be afraid to step onto the line even if they are not fully fit. You can race yourself fit." An interesting message for some of her absent compatriots.