What mistakes did you make in your first MdS preparation? I remember first watching and being captivated by the beauty of the Sahara Desert and thought to myself one day I would love to experience it. It’s the best of the best when it comes to runners, organization and desert challenges. MDS is the iconic blue riband event when it comes to multi-stage races. What was it about the MdS that first appealed to you? Hi Dion, you’ve run a lot of stage races but are especially known for your affinity for the Marathon des Sables. In this interview, which was featured in the recently published Stage Race Handbook, I sat down and quizzed Dion on his stage race experiences and preparation. This is a challenge of three non-stop races of 200 miles or more – namely the Bigfoot 200, Lake Tahoe 200 and Moab 240 races. Later this year, Dion is headed to the USA to attempt the audacious ‘Triple Crown’. He recounted the story in the International bestseller ‘ Finding Gobi’ (one of my top audiobook recommendations). He became an international figure in 2016 when he befriended a stray dog whilst running across the Chinese Gobi Desert, and went on to adopt the dog – named Gobi. He has tackled the Marathon des Sables several times, along with 3 x KAEM (Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – which he won in 2017), MdS Peru, Gobi March 250km and Global Limits Cambodia (where I first met Dion) to name a few – regularly bagging podium spots for his troubles.ĭion lives with his wife, Lucja – also an extreme runner – in Edinburgh, Scotland. Finding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope, of resilience and of friendship, proving once again, that dogs really are `man's best friend.Dion Leonard is an extreme runner and stage race veteran. 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. 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. 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. As Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. 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. 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 SUNDAY TIMES NO.2 BESTSELLER Like A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide.

Gobi dion