“Can your pet do that?” 🐶🏃♂️ Writer Dion Leonard surprised the world with his incredible story about a marathon-running dog. Many people couldn’t believe it was possible, but this brave pup ran 250 kilometers in just 6 days—alongside a complete stranger! 😲🐕💨 Surprised? Me too! You can read the full story in our article below 📖👇
Dion Leonard, a professional runner from Scotland, took part in a tough marathon across the vast Gobi Desert, which stretches over both China and Mongolia. The race covered 250 kilometers and took six days to complete.
On the second day, just before the race began, Dion noticed a small stray dog with a desert-colored coat standing at the starting line. Surprisingly, the dog decided to run alongside him. At first, Dion thought the dog would give up quickly, but it kept running and ended up covering 37 kilometers that day.
The dog, despite being tired and overheating under the desert sun, continued on the journey. It was given medical assistance by the race’s support team, but by the end of the race, the dog had already become part of the marathon. The organizers even named the dog “Gobi” after the desert, and the dog ran a hundred kilometers over four days, staying with Dion throughout the race.
As the race ended, Dion realized that Gobi had chosen him as a companion. However, taking the dog back to Scotland was not easy. Dion needed an official permit to bring Gobi home, and there were financial hurdles to overcome.
Unexpectedly, Gobi went missing just as Dion was sorting out the paperwork. Not giving up, Dion set up a crowdfunding campaign and raised more than enough money, 15,000 British pounds, to cover the costs of the permit. He also used social media to ask for help in finding Gobi and even went to the town where Gobi was last seen to put up posters.
Luckily, Gobi was found and reunited with Dion. The two friends are now living together in Scotland. Gobi has made friends with Dion’s other pets and is doing great, playing, sleeping, and walking proudly with Dion.
Inspired by their journey, Dion and writer Borlas Craig have written a book about their experience, and a movie about their incredible story may be coming soon.
