Dion Leonard: I decided I was bringing Gobi the dog back to the UK

When a stray dog followed him across the desert on an ultra-marathon, Dion Leonard knew he couldn’t abandon her. Here he tells Anna Maxted about their extraordinary bond
The Times
Dion Leonard and the dog he has called Gobi, at home in Edinburgh
Dion Leonard and the dog he has called Gobi, at home in Edinburgh
ROBERT ORMEROD FOR THE TIMES
The Times

I had just finished the first stage of a seven-day ultra-marathon in China when I saw Gobi for the first time. It was nearly a year ago.

It was a cold night and I’d walked out of the yurt to get some hot water when I noticed her next to the campfire, a scruffy little dog getting food from people. These races are about self-sufficiency — you carry your food for the week and the situation would have to be really desperate for someone to give any away. I thought: “There’s no way I’m feeding it.”

This race was important to me. I’m 42, and after three years of competitive running I wanted to win. Normally my wife runs alongside me and we’re quite sociable,