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She’d been curled up beside him when he woke up this morning. “You know what you’ve got to do now, don’t you?” Richard, one of the other runners, asked him.
“What?” Dion replied.
Richard had smiled. “You’ve got to give her a name.”
Dion had groaned at that. She wasn’t his dog! But she did seem to have attached herself to him. And he couldn’t just keep thinking of her as “dog”. Richard was right. She needed a name. But what name?
It should be short, he thought; long names just got shortened anyway. It should be fun and playful but not silly. It should suit her. And it should have something to do with the race, maybe.
Then he had it. Part of this race led through the Gobi Desert. And that was the perfect name for her. Gobi.
Gobi was excited. Now she had a name! And the man had given it to her! And he’d fed her and let her curl up beside him to sleep. This was so great!
And now it was daytime again, the sun was out, and it was nice and warm, and they were about to run some more! She couldn’t wait!
She was so excited she actually wandered away for a little bit. There were lots of other runners, and many of them said hi to her and petted her. Some even fed her or gave her water. It was really nice.
But once the race got underway, Gobi went looking for one runner in particular. A tall one all in yellow. She found him after a little bit, and he smiled when he saw her.
Then they started running together again.
Dion was surprised at how happy he was to see Gobi return. He’d thought she’d got tired of him or found her owner, or something else. But here she was, running alongside him like she’d never left.
Today’s race led through a bunch of boulders. The footing was tricky because the rocks shifted around beneath your feet. You had to be careful if you didn’t want to get hurt.
Dion slowed a little as he reached the boulders. Gobi didn’t. She was light enough that she could leap from rock to rock without a problem.
Julien was the same way. Dion had seen him leap from rock to rock the day before. Today Dion had made sure to be in front before they got to the boulders, because he knew he’d lose some time once they reached that section. Sure enough, he soon heard Julien coming up behind him.
But when Dion got to the top of the pile, he stopped. He could see for miles from up here. There was the next checkpoint, way ahead, just past a small village. There was the starting line, way behind them. There was the path from here to the village – it was nice and flat and straight, and they’d been running on that until the markers had led them up here.
And there was one runner, flying down another path.
It was Tommy.
“Whoa,” Julien said from beside Dion. “Not right.”
When Dion reached the checkpoint, he stopped and found one of the race organisers. “Tommy somehow skipped that whole rocky section back there. I don’t know if he did it deliberately or not, but it’s not fair.”
The woman raised her eyebrows. “We’ll look into it,” she said.
Dion still wasn’t sure the organizer believed them, but he’d done all he could do. Time to get back in the race.
Tommy was way ahead, but the race path curved a bit. At one point, he and Dion were maybe half a mile apart.
Dion assumed Tommy had seen him and would slow down but Tommy continued running fast ahead and didn’t stop for Dion so that they could run together as they had before Tommy had gone another way.
Dion tried to catch Tommy. The gap was too big, though. All that happened was that Dion wore himself out, and Julien shot past him.
Dion was mad at himself. He’d had this problem before. He got angry, and then he got careless. During his first ultra race he’d got so angry he’d actually quit the race partway through. He was starting to feel that same way now. Usually his wife was there to help him get over his anger, but she was back in Scotland. Dion was all alone.
Then he glanced down at Gobi, still running beside him. He smiled. No, he wasn’t alone. And having that little dog there was enough to take his mind off chasing Tommy down – and everything else. Just having Gobi with him was enough to keep Dion going.
This race wasn’t over yet.
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obi was happy. The sky was clear, the weather was warm, the ground was firm beneath her feet, and she and the man were running together. From time to time he would look over at her and smile. The warmth of that smile was even brighter than the sun beating down on them, but in a good way. It filled Gobi up.
Then she heard a strange rushing sound up ahead. What was that? Whatever it was, it was getting closer!
Dion heard it before he saw it. It was the rapid beat of running water. He could tell from the noise that this wasn’t another creek. No, this was something a whole lot bigger and faster. Sure enough, as he topped the next rise, he spotted a broad expanse ahead. It was a river! Dion had no idea how deep it was, but the race markers led right across, so he had to assume he’d be able to make it across as well.
With a sigh, he shifted his bag higher on to his back. All of his food was in there – if that got wet, he’d be in real trouble. Fortunately his clothes were made to dry quickly, and he had covers over his shoes that kept out pebbles and things, and also made them reasonably waterproof. That was all he could do.
Drawing a deep breath, he took a careful step into the water. It was surprisingly cold considering how warm the day was, and he sank down up to his waist, but that was it. At least the riverbed seemed solid. He could make his way across, he just had to go slowly. One wrong step and he’d get completely wet. Plus he could hurt himself since he couldn’t see where he was putting his feet. This was going to take a while.
Gobi watched as the man plunged into the water. She wagged her tail, but he didn’t look her way. He was clearly busy concentrating. She sat down just beside the water and watched. Surely he would turn around and notice that she wasn’t with him. But several minutes passed, and he got further and further away. Finally Gobi couldn’t take it any longer. She began anxiously running up and down the river bank. Was the man going to leave her?
At the sound of her bark, Dion stopped. He always made a point of facing forward, always forward, during a race. There was no point in looking behind you, after all. It was just about what lay ahead. But this time he did glance back. Gobi was sitting at the river’s edge, barking and whining, anxious that Dion was going to leave her. It was the same thing she’d done at the creek the day before. She made it across that somehow, Dion told himself. She can do the same here.
Except this wasn’t the same. The creek had been only a few feet wide, and not much deeper than his ankles. This was at least a hundred feet across and waist-deep on him. There was no way the little dog could cross that on her own, not unless she knew how to swim. And if she could swim, wouldn’t she already be doing that?
Not my problem, Dion told himself. He was here for the race. That was it. He hadn’t asked for Gobi to follow him. That was on her.
But he’d fed her. And given her water. And named her. And he had to admit, he liked having her with him. She lifted his spirits.
And right now, listening to her whimper and whine as he left her behind nearly broke his heart.
“Oh, fine!” Dion declared at last. Turning carefully, he started to make his way back. The second she saw him turn around, Gobi was on her feet, tail wagging furiously, her whimpers changing to happy barks.
He was coming back! Gobi was ecstatic! She barked with joy and even pranced in circles as she waited for the man to reach her.
When he was close enough, Dion reached out one long arm and scooped Gobi up off the ground. Then he hugged her to his chest. The little dog lifted her head and licked his cheek, which tickled. Dion laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome,” he told her. “Now let’s get going, okay? Just try not to squirm too much. This is going to be tough as it is.”
And it was. Before, Dion had kept his arms out for balance. Now one of them was clutching Gobi instead. That meant he only had one arm free. He had to go even more slowly and more carefully than before. And he still slipped a few times, though never enough to go completely underwater.
Through it all, Gobi was amazingly good. She didn’t struggle at all. She didn’t bark. She didn’t whimper. She just snuggled up against his chest and watched as they slowly inched their way across the river.
Once they’d reached the other side, Dion set her down. She quickly circled him, barking and wagging her tail. Then she nipped at his shoes.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going,” he agreed. He was tired from the river crossing, but he knew he couldn’t stop now. Especially not with Tommy already so far ahead.
Remembering what Tommy had done earlier was enough to make Dion mad all over again. But this time, instead of frustrating him, that anger gave him strength.
“Let’s go,” he told Gobi. “Let’s see what we can do to cut down his lead.”
She barked once, and when he set off she settled in beside him, matching his pace perfectly. Dion shook his head. He didn’t know where she’d come from, but this little dog sure could run!
The day was winding down, and Dion guessed that the finish line would be visible from the top of the next hill. He and Gobi had kept up a steady pace since the river, and he was pleased with their progress. Once or twice he’d caught a few glimpses of two other runners up ahead. That had to be Tommy and Julien, because no one else had passed him. But the path had twisted enough that Dion hadn’t been able to tell how far ahead they were.
Now, as he reached the top of the hill, he looked – and stared. What? he thought. There, past a series of small hills, was the finish line, and the tents beyond it. And there were Tommy and Julien, still only halfway there! How was that even possible? Dion had been sure the other two would have finished already.
But they hadn’t. In fact, they seemed to be walking. They must have used up too much energy getting across the river.
Which gave him an idea.
“Come on, Gobi,” he told her. He hurried down the hill, then raced up the next one. But he slowed just before he reached the top and moved as carefully and quietly as he could. He was tall and thin and dressed all in yellow – if Tommy and Julien looked back, they’d definitely see him. So he sprinted when he was out of sight, and moved quietly when he was visible at the top. And the other two runners didn’t look back.
The distance between them started to shrink. Dion ran down each hill and back up as fast as he could, then moved quietly across the top. Gobi somehow understood his intent, because she didn’t bark or yip at all. She was as silent as a ghost, though her tail wagged furiously. It was clear she thought this was the best game ever. Together they ran, and Tommy and Julien got closer and closer. But so did the finish line.
Finally, Dion crested the last hill. He was no more than a few hundred feet behind the other two. This time he crept down the hill as well, and together he and Gobi snuck up on the two runners, moving as fast as they dared.
Amazingly, Tommy and Julien didn’t look back. Were they that tired? Dion had had a lot of practice running in the heat – he was from Australia originally, so he knew all about hot days. Maybe Tommy and Julien weren’t as comfortable in the high temperatures. Whatever the reason, the gap between them kept shrinking. A hundred feet. Eighty feet. Sixty feet. Forty. Twenty.
Dion’s foot must have scuffed a rock, or maybe it was his shadow suddenly appearing near them, because Julien finally glanced back and saw him. Dion grinned. Too late!
He put on a burst of speed. Gobi barked and sped up to match him. Together they sprinted past Julien. Then past Tommy.
Dion saw Tommy’s eyes widen as they raced by. Tommy struggled to catch up, but staying out in front had worn him out. He just didn’t have enough strength left to match Dion’s sudden surge forward.
Dion charged past. He crossed the finish line first, with Gobi right beside him. The race volunteers all clapped and cheered. “That was amazing,” one of them told him. “You’re having a super race!”
Dion smiled and nodded. It was true. He’d come in third the first day and fourth the second, but today he’d come in first. That put him in really good shape. “I owe a lot of it to my little good luck charm here,” he said, kneeling down to ruffle Gobi’s fur. She barked and licked his face. “Isn’t that right, Gobi?”
When he straightened back up, though, Dion was all business. “Can I come by and talk to you later about what happened before the first checkpoint?” he asked the organiser. “I need to clear my head first.”
“Sure,” she agreed.
The organisers did take Dion seriously this time. It helped that other runners also confirmed what had happened. In the end, they adjusted Tommy’s time by five minutes. Dion thought it should have been more, but at least it was something.
Besides, he had finished first today. That was something too.
Dion wondered if tomorrow Tommy would go for the win from the start of the race to make up for not winning today.
Gobi didn’t seem to mind any of it. She was just happy to eat some of his food, drink some water, and then curl up beside him and go to sleep.
And Dion had to admit, he was getting used to having her there.
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obi was sad. She barked and whimpered, but the man just shook his head. Then he walked away, leaving her with the woman holding her. The woman was nice and friendly, and she kept petting Gobi and giving her treats. But she wasn’t the man. Gobi barked again, but the man was already out of sight.
Dion had to force himself not to look back. It was for her own good, he kept telling himself. Today was going to be long, and hot. Gobi had done amazingly well so far, but there was no way she’d be able to handle the run today. Especially since there wouldn’t be any shade or any water. It was better for him to go without her. One of the race volunteers had agreed to keep Gobi safe today while Dion ran. She had also promised to bring the little dog to tonight’s campsite with her. But Dion still couldn’t stop hearing the sorrow and desperation in Gobi’s voice as she whined and whimpered and barked at him to return.
An hour later, Dion was still gritting his teeth. Only now it wasn’t because of Gobi. Something else was frustrating him – or someone else.
Everyone had heard about Dion finishing first yesterday, and he’d got a lot of congratulations from the other runners as they’d lined up that morning. Dion was feeling good, strong, and rested, and he took the lead right away. He had long legs, and they ate up the ground despite the heavy wind. But one runner was deliberately not passing Dion.
Tommy.
Running into the wind was hard. It took a lot of effort, and could easily drain even the strongest runner. But if you were running behind someone else, that person would take the wind instead of you. You’d be able to run more easily. It was called drafting and it wasn’t against the rules. The polite thing to do would be for two or more runners to take turns – first one ran in front and the others drafted, then they traded places. That way nobody had to fight the wind the whole way. It was more fair if everyone shared in the effort.
Tommy deliberately stayed right behind Dion. Not ten or even five feet behind either. Dion could practically feel Tommy’s breath on the back of his neck, that was how close they were. When he looked down, their two shadows were merged into a single long blur.
Which meant that Dion was doing all the work, the whole way. And Tommy was relaxing and saving his own energy for later.
All through the day, Dion stayed in the lead. And Tommy was right at his heels.
Then, finally, they reached the last of the day’s checkpoints. Dion was exhausted. And while he paused to drink some water there, that was when Tommy made his move.
Whoosh! It was like someone had strapped a rocket to Tommy’s back. When Dion slowed to a stop at the checkpoint, Tommy zoomed past. Now he was using all that strength he’d saved. And Dion didn’t have the energy to stop him.
Julien and Zeng appeared while Dion was still regathering his strength. They nodded at him but didn’t pause either. Instead they spotted Tommy up ahead and took off after him. It was clear that Julien and Zeng were hoping to catch or even pass Tommy, just like Dion had yesterday. Maybe they could, although Tommy now had a big lead – and fresh legs.
Dion kept running. What else could he do? But he was frustrated all over again. And he was wondering again if coming here had been a huge mistake. He was tired, so tired, and his legs ached and his head was swimming. Why did he want to keep doing this to himself? Maybe he should just quit. There was no way he could win, anyway.
But he kept running. He could barely feel his legs, and he felt like he was swimming through a fog. But he kept going.
Finally the finish line came into sight. Tommy was long gone. So were Julien and Zeng. Another runner had passed Dion as well. But none of that mattered.
Because sitting there patiently by the finish line was a small brown lump. And as soon as Dion got close, the lump sprang up into the air, unfolding as it went. Now suddenly it was a small, fuzzy brown dog, and it was running for Dion, tail up, tongue out.
And, seeing Gobi, Dion smiled for the first time that day.
It was Gobi’s presence, her enthusiasm, and her support that got him across the finish line that night. Without her there, Dion wasn’t sure he’d have made it at all.
Gobi was thrilled to see the man again. He hadn’t forgotten her! And he was smiling at her too. Once he’d finished running he scooped her up, and she covered his face in licks. He laughed, and then the two of them crawled into their tent to eat and drink and rest. Gobi had been well looked after that day, but she had still missed him. He was back now, though, and that was all that mattered.
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ion glanced around himself. He kept expecting to see a small sandy-brown shape bounding about his feet, but there was nothing there.
It was his own fault. Dion made arrangements for Gobi to travel in one of the race cars again. Today was the longest day of the race, covering over fifty miles and cutting right through a section of the Black Gobi Desert. The temperatures were going to be well over 125 degrees. Tough as she was, there was no way the little dog would be able to handle that kind of heat, especially over that distance. This was for her own safety.
But that didn’t stop Dion from missing her.
The starting gun sounded, and they were off. A bunch of runners shoved past, trying to take an early lead. Dion let them. He wasn’t too worried. He was having a great race so far, but it was more than that. He was good at the long distances, and at handling the heat. Not everyone was. They were using up a lot of valuable energy by sprinting now, and they wouldn’t have a chance to rest and recharge later. Today’s race was all about being smart and conserving energy as much as possible.
Fortunately, they didn’t have any wind today, and Tommy was off running his own race and Dion didn’t see him after the start. Though boiling hot, the day was clear, and Dion settled into a nice, easy stride. He wasn’t worried about coming in first. The important thing was to make sure he could cover the full distance. A lot of runners wouldn’t be able to do that. As long as he reached the finish line today, he’d be in good shape.
Time passed. Several times Dion saw runners walking, already exhausted. Many of them stared as he jogged by. He just waved, but not meanly. A few even cheered him on, or clapped for him. He waved at them too. He was covering the distance well, and felt good and strong. He had this.
He also decided it was time to finally use his secret weapon – his iPod. The tiny device could only run for a few hours, so he hadn’t bothered with it before this. But on a day like today, it was the perfect way to distract himself and let his body handle the running. Dion pulled out the iPod, put in his earbuds, and hit Play. The music started, and he could feel his spirits lifting. This was exactly what he needed.
Dion did stop at every checkpoint. It was important to refill your water bottles whenever you could, and it helped to check in with the race crew. They were being especially careful today. It was much too easy for a runner to get heatstroke out here. If that wasn’t caught in time, it could become heat exhaustion, which was dangerous. When someone had heat exhaustion they got foggy. They could no longer make smart choices – including knowing when it was time to get help. People could die from heat exhaustion, so the organisers were making sure every runner was okay.
