Golden retrievers cross Boston Marathon finish line to honor beloved dogs Spencer and Penny
"It was just a sea of golden and smiling faces."
On Monday, Boston runners will cross the famous marathon finish line in Copley Square. But on Sunday, golden retrievers pressed on instead.
While they didn’t race the full 26.2-mile course, a group of dogs made their way to the finish line before even more retrievers convened at the Boston Common Sunday afternoon, said Elisha Bussiere, a co-founder of the Massachusetts Golden Meetups group, which organized the event.
There is no way to calculate the number of dogs that showed up, she said, but she estimated around 250 were present at the Common meetup. She said the group never expected such a big response.
“It was just a sea of golden and smiling faces,” Bussiere said. “It eased everyone’s nerves as they get ready for tomorrow to run. It was just a day of pure joy and happiness.”
She added that many runners came up to greet the dogs and told her the retrievers had made their day.
The group planned the day in honor of the lives of Spencer and Penny, two golden retrievers well known for their presence on the marathon route. Spencer was even named the official Boston Marathon dog in 2022. Both dogs died in February.
Members of Massachusetts Golden Meetups found out about the dogs’ deaths while at another outing, and decided then and there to do something in their honor.
“When you love one golden retriever you love all golden retrievers,” Bussiere said. “Everyone just felt so connected to them.”
Spencer and Penny’s “person,” Rich Powers, told Boston.com in a phone call Sunday night that he participated in the 9:30 a.m. walk across the finish line, holding a photo of his two dogs in hand as he crossed over.
Boston Marathon
“It was pretty impressive, and it was heartfelt and very touching to see our dogs honored in such an unbelievable manner,” he said.
Powers said he also held the flags Spencer would use on Marathon Mondays, and he wore the raincoat Spencer wore during the notoriously wet 2018 race. At this year’s marathon, Powers said he and his family will be at the same spot they typically stand at, with signs to commemorate the two dogs.
“We’re just going to support the runners as we always have, and hopefully they feel the energy from us that they felt with Spencer and Penny,” he said.
Massachusetts Golden Meetups raised more than $1,000 toward cancer and disease research in dogs, a cause Powers began fundraising for after Spencer and Penny died from cancer.
As of Sunday night, there were over $32,000 in total donations toward a $50,000 goal.
Bussiere said she loves the idea of making the Sunday event annual, but she’s not sure what will happen in the future. Regardless, she said this was “a true sign of the spirit of a community.”
“Whether it’s as a community of golden retriever lovers, or as a community now after the marathon bombing there’s truly strength in numbers and we can really help each other when we come together.”
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