Feature: Lonely runner at athletics worlds

He is the only runner left on the track. Barefooted. When his idol - British Olympic champion Mohamed Farah hit the finish, he still has two laps to go.

Abdulah Al-Qwabani, 16, is the newly-crowned Yemeni men's 5,000 meters champion and the country's only representative at 2015 IAAF World Championships.

"I'm still young. I still had a long way to go," said Al-Qwabani, who finished at 16:02.55, last of 37 runners in the men's 5,000m first round.

This was his first world championships journey, which he was quite satisfied with.

"I started training just about one year ago," said Al-Qwabani. "I love running barefoot. It feels so good to touch the ground."

To him, running is a lonely battle.

"Running means you have to fight against yourself. Always looks ahead," he said.

Actually, Al-Qwabani's dream is to become a doctor, so he "can help others".

His father and oldest brother works for the army. Al-Qwabani said he really missed his family and was worried about their safety.

"But I can run across the world. I can see it, feel it, touch it. That's the most amazing part."

This is his first time in Beijing. Al-Qwabani feels comfortable. Though he can't speak English, let alone Chinese. He types in Arabic on cell phone and renders his words to English with a translation software.

"The Bird's Nest is so beautiful. The crowds are so friendly. I hope that I can come back," said Al-Qwabani. "Next time, I definitely can run faster." Endi