This supportive dog encouraged marathon runners battling the rain in Boston

A golden retriever has achieved internet acclaim for supporting runners in the Boston Marathon.

Spencer, smartly dressed in a windbreaker rain jacket to protect him from the cold and rain, held flags to cheer on runners in a video shared to Facebook by his owner.

“When we got home he was drier than me!” said Rich Powers, Spencer’s owner.

“Rough conditions for the runners made it extra special.”

Spencer and his sister Penny are therapy dogs, and it turns out Spencer is a fan of the Boston marathon – this was his third time spectating.

Their owner says he set up the page to show the two dogs off to other dog lovers – “They are too good not to share.”

This year’s marathon fell on the fifth anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three spectators and injured hundreds of others.