Richard Mateelong upstaged both the world champion and Olympic champion to lead a Kenyan 1-2-3 in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games on Monday.

Mateelong, the African champion, crossed the line in a pedestrian 8:16.40 but ahead of world champion Ezekiel Cheboi and Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto.

In a race with a top quality field, the Kenyans matched the clean sweep exploits of their women counterparts -- Milcah Cheywa, Mercy Njoroge and Gladys Kipkemoi -- who achieved the same feat here.

It was always on the cards with Kenya winning every Commonwealth men's steeplechase final since 1990.

The surprise was world championship silver medallist Mateelong getting the better of his more illustrious countrymen, in particular Kipruto who is the fastest man in the world over the distance this year.

It was a huge victory with Mateelong taking the lead with one lap to go and never relinquishing it.

"It's quite fantastic. This was very hard to do but I am glad I got it," he said on beating his teammates, adding that he told his colleagues during the race to "Let's move forward, let's run away."

Cheboi blamed his defeat on being tired at the end of a long season.

"I am tired as this has been a very very long season for me. I think this will be my last Commonwealth Games. I am satisfied with my silver," he said, while Kipruto said he just wanted to see a Kenyan clean sweep.

"We didn't have any plans. We just wanted to be 1-2-3," he said.

"It started slowly. That's what you have in a championship race and it turned out very well for us."