GUIDEPOSTS: Were there moments when she kept you going?ĭL: Seeing Gobi’s resilience, determination, and need to be with me no matter what the conditions and circumstances for sure took my mind off running across the soaring heat and inhospitable conditions of the desert. Unfortunately Gobi forgot to pack her food so I would give her everything I could to make sure she wasn’t hungry. I knew how much food I would need for the week and had not packed any extra. GUIDEPOSTS: How big of a deal was it for you to choose to share your food and water with Gobi?ĭL: A very big deal because you have to carry all of the food you need to survive the week. Dion and the little dog were about to embark on an adventure that would change both of their lives. At the start of day two, he looked down and saw a little brown dog chewing on his shoes. GUIDEPOSTS: It’s kind of amazing then that this tiny dog could manage it.ĭL: I was impressed when she completed stage 2 with me, close to a marathon in length and climbing a huge mountain pass over the Tian Shan range. In June of 2016, Dion Leonard attempted one of the toughest races in the world a 155-mile ultramarathon through the Gobi Desert in China. It created a lot of worry and negatives in my mind. Physically I was prepared, but I didn’t know if my leg injury would flare up straight away or if I would go on to finish the race.

This was the start of a journey neither of them would ever forget with a roller coaster ride of drama, grief, heartbreak, joy and love that changed their lives forever.įinding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope, of resilience and of friendship, proving once again, that dogs really are ‘man’s best friend.DL: I was returning from injury and had not been running competitively for over six months so mentally I was a little fragile. Although Dion did not finish first, he felt he had won something far greater and promised to bring Gobi back to the UK for good to become a new addition to his family. Gobi ran 77 miles of the 155-mile race with Dion through the Gobi Desert. Dion is a seasoned ultramarathoner who crosses paths with a scrappy, stray dog. In the past he had always focused on winning and being the best, but his goal now was simply to make sure that his new friend was safe, nourished and hydrated. Finding Gobi is the miraculous tale of Dion Leonard. The lovable pup, who earned the name ‘Gobi’, proved that what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in heart, as she went step for step with Dion over the treacherous Tian Shan Mountains, managing to keep pace with him for nearly 80 miles.Īs Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. Come join New York Times best-selling author Dion Leonard as he talks about his adventure, and come meet Gobi, the little dog who inspired Dions book. In 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a little stray dog while competing in a gruelling 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert. Like A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide…

Dion leonard gobi