AustLit

'Ralph's grandfather needs a heart operation, but there's a long waiting list. If Ralph can raise $5,000, then Pop can have the operation privately. His only hope is to win the world's first Dogathlon, being held in Ralph's hometown, Noosa, Queensland. The race involves a boy (or girl) and their dog, running for three kilometres and swimming two hundred metres. First prize is $5,000. But Ralph and Buster have serious competition, particularly from his school rival, Jimmy and his dog, Fang. Pop, who used to take part in the Noosa Triathlons, has agreed to train Ralph and Buster. Can they win the race and secure the prize money for Pop's operation? ' (Publisher's blurb)