A marathon is a foot race with a standard distance of 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers). Anything longer than that is classified as an ultramarathon. There is no limit on the distances for an ultra. Races under 100 miles are 24-hour races; those over 100 miles are called multi-day races. Dion Leonard participated in a 250k (155.34 miles) multi-day race in Beijing, China. The race resulted in Dion finding Gobi, a small dog who ran with him for 77 miles over a two-day period.
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While on the course, running by himself, Dion had the company of a tiny little energetic dog. He continued running, and the dog stayed with him. The two covered 77 miles of the race during a two-day period and formed an incredible bond. When they reached the finish line, Dion knew he needed to take Gobi back home to Australia.
Bringing a dog from China to the UK requires a four-month quarantine period for the Gobi. Dion arranged for Gobi to stay with a host family while waiting out the quarantine period. During the wait, Gobi went missing. Dion immediately flew back to China to search for the little dog. Hundreds of flyers were made and passed out during the search.
It was ten long days for Dion before a local spotted Gobi. When Dion went to reclaim his friend, she jumped right into his arms. After days of endurance running, their bond was fate, and Gobi knew she belonged with Dion. Finding the little dog in the vast Gobi desert changed their lives.
After Finding Gobi, Man And Dog Look To The Future
Dion stayed in Beijing for the quarantine period after finding Gobi again and eventually was able to take his dog back to the UK. Their adventures have resulted in an inspiring book, and a movie is in the works. The two are continuing their journey in Sydney, Australia. You can follow their lives on Instagram.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.
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