LONDON (AFP) - British athletics legend Mo Farah narrowly failed to complete a fifth successive global double on Saturday (Aug 12) when he finished second behind Ethiopian Muktar Edris in a thrilling 5,000 metres world final.

The 34-year-old, whose winning run in the 5,000m at Olympics and world finals stretched back to 2011, fought desperately to claw back the deficit in the finishing straight but Edris held on to win in 13min 32.79sec.

Farah, a two-time double world champion and two time double Olympic champion, finished in 13:33.22.

Farah, who had won the 10,000m last Friday to open the championships with a bang, said he couldn't have given it more but added he had proved that it was possible to break up the Ethiopian and Kenya hegemony over the distance races.

"I gave it my all, 110 per cent," said Farah.

"I don't think there was any more I could have done. They (the Ethiopians) run as a team.

"Never feel like you can't beat the Kenyans and Ethiopians - anything is possible." American Paul Chelimo added world bronze to his Olympic silver, timing 13.33.30.

Farah and his team-mate Andrew Butchart had tried to break up the field with 600 metres to go in a race that had been run at generally a very slow pace.

However, Edris and team-mate Yomif Kejelcha seized the initiative as the bell went and Farah struggled to go with them.

He fell several metres behind them going down the back straight.

Edris led round the final bend with Farah under pressure from Kenyan-born Chelimo as they hit the straight.

Edris gritted his teeth and set sail for home with Farah moving down the inside to try and engineer a remarkable final burst but the gas just wasn't there.