As March draws to a close, something exciting is on the horizon: the Boston Marathon. This year, the race takes place on Monday, April 15th. Everyone running the marathon this year is already knee deep in training, and that includes a very special someone.
Jimmy, a very athletic Golden Retriever, will be helping the runners out this year, his training regimen is real. His dad shared a video of him practicing on Saturday, March 23rd, and it’s the cutest thing ever:
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They can’t let Jimmy join the race, unfortunately. He’d probably beat all the human runners and they’d get mad. This video from @thehenrystudio shows that Jimmy has tons of star-power as it is!
Related: Golden Retriever Supports NYC Marathon Runners in Uplifting Video
Jimmy is an unofficial mascot for the Boston Marathon. Before him, his caretakers had another Golden Retriever named Spencer who filled the role, but unfortunately, Spencer passed away from cancer before last year’s marathon. Spencer’s job was to carry the flags in his mouth and stand around the third mile of the marathon’s course. Even though runners still have over 20 miles to run by the time they see the cute puppy, it’s a great way to boost their spirits.
Jimmy is not directly related to Spencer. Instead, he was a gift to the family from a breeder located in Walpole, MA which specializes in breeding and training working Goldens. In his free time, Jimmy enjoys things all Golden Retrievers love, like carrying things around in his mouth and getting belly rubs from his family and all of his adoring fans.
How did ‘Boston Marathon Dogs’ start?
Contrary to popular belief, cute Golden Retrievers are not actually the “mascot” of the Boston Marathon. It’s actually a “unicorn,” which is just a horse with a horn screwed into its skull for marathon day. The unicorn greets runners at the finish line, though recently, the screw-in horn has been facing quite a bit of backlash from people online.
Bringing pets to stand on the sidelines at marathons or other sporting events is a common practice. That’s exactly how Spencer got his start: in 2018, he stood at mile 3 holding a flag in his mouth. Being that he was a cute and sweet dog, everyone loved him. After a few years, Spencer became a regular, and the people (and race officials, even!) made Spencer a huge part of the race.
Spencer passed away last year, and his presence at the race was sorely missed by all. People from all over New England who had Golden Retrievers even organized a mile-long walk in his honor a few days after the race, which made me cry. They’re even said to be erecting a statue in his honor on the route! This year, thankfully, there will be a dog standing there at Mile 3, and he’s just as cute!
