The concluding men’s 10 kilometres race, brought forward ahead of a thunderstorm that caused the area to be rapidly cleared,  also produced a shock although of a less traumatic nature as Uganda’s "apprentice", 22-year-old Jakob Kiplimo, won a race in which the "master", defending champion Joshua Cheptegei, had to settle for the bronze medal.

Gidey, 24, was seeking a cross country gold to add to the world 10,000m title she won last summer, and her pedigree in this event was hugely promising given that she had won back-to-back under-20 titles in 2015 and 2017 and finished third in the senior women's race at the last edition at Aarhus in 2019.

But all the records and titles counted for nothing as she approached the line in temperatures of 36 centigrade after negotiating a gruelling up-and-down two-kilometres loop course at Mount Panorama normally used for touring car races that organisers had proudly described as the "toughest ever".

After looking over her left shoulder to see Chebet, the world 5,000m silver medallist, putting in a final sprint, the Ethiopian stumbled on the rutted course and then fell, and was eventually disqualified after requiring assistance.

Chebet took gold in 33min 48sec, with silver going to Gidey’s team-mate Tsigie Gebreselama in 33:56 and Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich taking bronze in 34:00.

Kiplimo, who won silver behind Cheptegei in this race four years ago, had time to wave and smile before winning in 29:17 to add another title to the ones he won at 5,000 and 10,000m at last year’s Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Second place went to Ethiopia’s 21-year-old rising star Berihu Aregawi, who clocked 29:26.

Cheptegei, the world 5,000 and 10,000m world record holder, embraced his junior training partner after the line upon finishing third in 29:37, the same time that was given to Kenya’s 2019 bronze medallist Geoffrey Kamworor, who had been seeking a third title.

Kamworor had the consolation of helping Kenya take the senior men's team title and finishing top of the medals table ahead of Ethiopia.

In the opening event of the day Kenya regained the mixed relay title they had won when the event made its debut at the Kampala edition of these Championships in 2017 as their quartet of 18-year-old world under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mirriam Cherop, Kyumbe Munguti and Brenda Chebet clocked 23:14.

The silver medal went to defending champions Ethiopia in 23:21, with their quartet including 2019 African Games 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist Getnet Wale.

Australia’s hopes that this would prove their most likely event in which to earn a home medal sere proved correct as their team of Commonwealth 1500m champion Ollie Hoare, Tokyo 2020 1500m finalists Jessica Hull and Stewart McSweyn and Commonwealth 1500m bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell took bronze in 23:26.

Ethiopia’s 17-year-old Senayet Getachew, third in her national trials, was a surprise winner of the 6km under-20 women’s race, clocking 20:53, with her 18-year-old compatriot Medina Eisa earning silver in 21:00, a second ahead of Kenya’s 15-year-old Pamela Kosgei, to ensure victory in the team event also.

Ishmael Kirui took the men’s under-20 title in 24:39, finishing a second clear of countryman Reynold Cheruyiot in the 8km race, with bronze going to Ethiopia’s Boki Diriba, a further second behind, which gave Kenya the team title by a point over Ethiopia.