ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — World record holder Kenenisa Bekele held on to win the 5,000 meters today at the African Athletics Championships.

The Ethiopian, who pulled out of Wednesday's 10,000, won in 13 minutes, 49.67 seconds. Isaac Songok of Kenya finished second in 13:49.91, and Ali Abdush of Ethiopia was third.

Bekele's younger brother, Tariku, traded places with Kenenisa Bekele throughout the race but finished fourth.

The elder Bekele, who also holds the world record in the 10,000, pulled out of that race because he wanted to take time to recover from winning his sixth world cross-country title in Scotland in March.

Bekele had also planned to skip the 5,000, but gave in to pressure to compete before a home crowd.

The host country swept the men's and women's 10,000, and Ethiopians got two medals in each of the 5,000 races.

Ethiopian women also took gold and silver in the 3,000 steeplechase.