More Than 100 Golden Retrievers Cheered On Boston Marathon Runners For One Heartwarming Reason
For many years, when runners participated in the Boston Marathon and looked to the sidelines they would see a very special dog cheering them on. A Golden Retriever named Spencer would hold a flag that read “Boston Strong” cheering on the runners. He became a fixture at the race, so much so that in 2022 Spencer was named the official dog of the 126th Boston Marathon by the Boston Athletic Association.
Sadly, Spencer passed away this year in February before the race at the age of 13 from cancer. His sister, Penny, passed away just one week later at age 11. So, in honor of Spencer and Penny’ memory, a group of Golden Retriever owners decided to get together, raise money for canine cancer research and cheer on this year’s runners.
The group MA Golden Meetups organized a walk at this year’s Boston Marathon and their dogs were wearing bandanas that read “Golden Strong.”
More than 100 dogs showed up! It was a sea of Goldens. There were many cute chaotic moments in the sea of Golden retrievers that were captured on video.
@bostondotcom A sea of golden retrievers and their owners took over the Boston Commmon on Sunday during an event to honor Spencer and Penny, the Boston Marathon's favorite canine duo. Spencer, who went viral in 2018 for braving the rainy weather to proudly hold flags in support of Boston Marathon runners, died Feb. 17 from liver cancer at the age of 13. Penny, who had appeared grief-stricken in the days following Spencer’s passing, died on Feb. 25 at the age of 10, after her owners, discovered hemangiosarcoma tumors had spread to her liver. Spencer and Penny, who worked as therapy dogs, left a lasting mark on the community, which was felt at Sunday's event, organized by MA Golden Meetups. For more coverage leading up to tomorrow's big race, head to the link in our bio. 🐶 #GoldenStrong #SpencerAndPenny #BostonMarathon #Boston #GoldenRetriever ♬ I Think I Like When It Rains – WILLIS
And the group raised a $1000 in funds from sales of the bandanas and provided the money to Spencer and Penny’s owner Rich Powers, which he will donate to the Morris Animal Foundation.
The Morris Animal Foundation does lifesaving canine research. They currently have the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study underway. Its purpose is “to identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors for cancer and other diseases in dogs.” There are over 3000 Golden retrievers registered in the study.
