Owners of Spencer, the late Boston Marathon dog, will keep the decade-long tradition alive, tapping their new pups, Jimmy and Jade, to hold the #BostonStrong flag at the famous race!
TMZ Sports spoke with Rich Powers following Spencer's statue unveiling in Ashland State Park -- just over a year after the doggo passed away following a cancer battle -- about the golden retriever's importance to runners, as well as the dogs who will attempt to follow in his paws.
"It is an amazing statue for such an amazing pup," Powers told us. "It was like having an angel living in my house for almost 14 years. We shared him as best we could and this was a way to keep sharing him and inspiring."
After Spencer died, Powers got new therapy dogs, two English cream golden retrievers named Jimmy and Jade, and the plan is for them to hold the flags as thousands of runners pass by along the marathon route.
"[Spencer] was buried with one of his sets of flags along with a marathon medal," Powers said. "One, if not both, will be there on marathon Monday in front of the statue holding a set of Spencer’s flags."
"Jimmy is doing well with holding the flag. Jade is only 4 months old and is in process."
The 128th annual Boston Marathon goes down on Monday, April 15th ... and runners, in the midst of one of the hardest things they'll ever do, can expect to see Jimmy (and possibly Jade) there holdin' it down for them ... and making Spencer proud.