Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey
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. The lovable pup, who earned the name ‘Gobi’, proved that what she lacked in size, she more th
...moreGet A Copy
Friend Reviews
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews


In 2016, Dion Leonard was participating in a race across the Gobi Desert, over 155 miles in fact, when he found a stray dog who kept up with him step for step, over 80 miles. That alone had me in tears just thinking about the determination of the dog to keep up with a human with whom she had quickly bonded.
Later, it was Leonard’s determination to reunite with Gobi that made my heart ache and flutter. A story of love between humans and dog ...more

The story begins when Dion Leonard takes a trip to China from Edinburgh to participate in a grueling 150 mile six-day seven-stage race in the excruciating heat of desert and dangerous mountain terrain....."the biggest race of his short running career." That unforgiving land is where Gobi appears out of the blue, looks Dion in the eyes and adopts him as her own....so cool.
The first half of the novel is pretty much dedicated to the race itself (quite interesting), its participants
...more
Leonard then takes it upon himself to make sure he doesn't lose Gobi again what he & his wife Lucja try & get him into his hometown of Edinburgh that is like jumping over hoops both wouldn't give up hope.
All I will say now is this book is a story of unbidde ...more


Dion Leonard is an extreme runner, after taking up the sport because his girlfriend/wife became interested in running as a sport and encouraged him to join her. Not one to take things by halves, Dion found himself competing at an elite level, racing some top notch runners ...more

But I am so happy with this book I know the story thankfully!
This his an incredible heart warming, touching, fantastic story, with warmth, humble that touches your heart, more so if like me you are an animal lover....
I understand fully how the love of an animal can touch your heart, so much and would have done exactly the same as Dion....
This is not only a story of an incredible dog, but of an incredible couple ...more

Whilst competing in a 155 mile race through the Gobi desert in China Ultramarathon runner, Dion Leonard comes across a stray dog. Little did Deon know that this cute little stray would follow right beside him throughout his race. Over the course of the race Deon becomes very attached to the stray and ends up calling her, Gobi.
Once the race was completed, Dion and his wife knew they couldn't leave Gobi behind, but getting her out of the country would be a challenge. Whilst attempting to work out ...more

Dion was running in a 5-day marathon across China's Gobi Desert when he first met the canine love-of-his-life. She attached herself to him at the start of the race, and kept up with him for almost 80 miles (128 km). He is soon wrapped around her little paw, and can't even consider abandoning her when the marathon finishes. So, the process of bringing ...more

However there was a lot I didn't know, in particular, just how many people around the world, but especially in China, banded together to help him find this dog. Look at her face - irresistible! It's incredible that she found him, and even more incredible that she was found after she went missing (I don't think that' ...more


The heartwarming story of Dion Leonard and Gobi. It represents the amazing connection between a human being and a dog and also shows how things can be achieved and accomplished when people work together, with a common goal.
It does feel many a time, that the whole story is too good ...more

Dion Leonard, an Australian living in Edinburgh, had only been distance running for a few years when he went to China to compete in the Gobi ultra marathon - 155 miles over seven gruelling days (it makes me feel ill just thinking about it). In the desert the daytime temperatures got up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit or even higher so its a real test of endurance. On this race he encountered a litt ...more


Ex-pat Australian Dion Leonard is an ultra marathon runner, who takes part in 5 day races staged in extreme settings. Like the Sahara, Kalahari and Gobi Deserts. Early in the 2016 event his path crosses that of a cute, skinny little terrier, who then follows him through exceptionally harsh conditions. He names the appealing little stray ‘Gobi’ after the region in which he is competing. By the end of the race, he has decided that he will do his best to adopt Gobi and take her home to Edinburgh ...more


Finding Gobi is one such story, a little dog who saw a human and chose him as her own. Healing him and finding a warm and loving home in the process.

This book is a combination memoir ...more

I will admit, I am not normally a fan of non-fiction books. However, the story was just so captivating that I had to know more. And boy, did I get it!
I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. The twists, the turns, the sadness, the triumph... All of it utterly engrossed me, from the first page to the very last. I laughed, I ...more


Did I love reading about little Gobi and her indomitable warrior spirit? Absolutely. The passages describing her latching on to ultra marathon runner Dion Leonard, ultimately following him 77 of the 155-mile desert run across the Gobi desert, put an ear to ear grin on my face and warmed my heart. It's the reason I picked up this ...more

The one thing that seemed off was that it felt 'overthought' at times. One example is when it comes to Gobi's story, ...more

For dog lovers who are seeking an inspirational, feel-good type of story, well, I think this one qualifies. The story begins in China, during an ultra marathon in the Gobi desert. Not the type of conditions that usually leads to a dog seemingly appearing our of nowhere and ...more

I loved reading Finding Gobi. While reading Finding Gobi, I laug ...more

The journey (literal and figurative!) that these two took together is simply incredible. I was amazed at all that Dion Leonard had to go through to bring Gobi home. I'm so glad they found each other.
This is an inspiring story that is simply written, yet it manages to adequately capture the heartache and the triumphs that the au ...more


I was worried this would be a cloyingly sentimental recounting, but it wasn’t. Instead, it’s a terrific story about the unbelievable kindness of several wonderful people in China who gave Dion incredible support and guidance though the administrative process of adopting a dog fro ...more