Last updated: 19-Jul-18
First it was the press, then it was the book and now it is the big screen. Twentieth Century Fox Film are to make the film of Dion Leonard’s story of meeting a small, stray dog while running the Gobi ultra, falling in love and finally bringing her home.
His book is being published by Harper Collins and will be out in June.
Dion is an accomplished ultra runner and is due to compete in the Marathon des Sables next month, but it is the Gobi story that has shot him to international fame.
He told us how it happened:
“I saw her on stage 1 but was focusing and didn’t really think about it. Then on day 2 she was at the start line with me, looking up at me and stayed with me. I never encouraged her. I didn’t talk to her, whistle or give her water.
I didn’t have a great day and finished about ten minutes behind the leaders and as I came in I heard people clapping and thought it was for me, and it was a bit but it was also for Gobi who was right there.
The amazing thing is that when I walked into the tent, she came in after me, cuddled up to me, looked up at me and well… the rest is history.”
Read more.
It is a story that we love, and will also bring all the great things about ultra running to a wide audience – so all that is left is the casting. In the RunUltra office, we are going for Andrew Lincoln (aka Rick Grimes in the Walking Dead) for Dion and Jennifer Lawrence for Lucja, his wife and another talented runner. For Gobi… well, we reckon it will be an open casting!
Dion has already donated a sizeable sum of money raised to The Little Adoption Shop in Beijing and hopes to continue raising money for Dog Shelters through his running.
Follow him on Twitter @findinggobi
