Tiny Stray Dog Joins Marathoner In The Desert, And Now They’re Best Friends

Dion Leonard, a marathoner from Scotland, ran the 4 Deserts Gobi March in China last June.

But during his run, he met an unlikely friend: a tiny stray pup had jumped right into the race with her.

“On Day 2, I was at the starting line for the race stage and she was standing next to me, looking up at me,” Dion shared. “I thought to myself this little dog isn’t going to last very long at my side as we raced off, but she ended up running the whole day and 23 miles distance.”

Dion even carried her when there were parts that would be hard for the little pooch to cross on her own.

The pup, whom he appropriately named Gobi, ran with Dion for most of the way and even crossed the finished line with him.

After the race, Gobi followed Dion to his tent, where they shared a nap and some cuddles.

Dion is now in the process of bringing Gobi home to Scotland, thanks to generous donations from people on Crowdfunder.

Gobi is still in China though, since medical clearance for her to travel will take about 4 months.

Dion hopes that Gobi will be home with him in time for Christmas.