Former NHL defenseman and Bruins legend Zdeno Chara he competed in the Boston Marathon on Monday, finishing the 127th installment of the race in less than four hours.
The 46-year-old announced on Instagram last month that he would be running the race in support of the Thomas E. Smith Foundation and the Hoyt Foundation.
Zdeno Chara, who played 24 years in the NHL and captained the Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup champion team, crosses the finish line of the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 on Boylston Street in Boston. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He 2011 Stanley Cup Champion he did not disappoint in what he said was his first marathon, crossing the finish line in 3:38:23.
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«This was AMAZING,» Chara wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. «I only heard and could imagine until I saw it, heard it and executed it.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support 127. boston marathon yesterday. Thank you very much to all the volunteers who helped us all reach the finish line. To all the organizers and essential staff who kept us safe before, after and during the race. To all you fans out there, you are NUTS (in the best possible way). Your loud cheers, signs and words of encouragement were much needed and got us through some tough times.»
Former Boston Bruins NHL player Zdeno Chara, center, and Becca Pizzi, left, pose with their medals after completing the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston. (Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
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The 6-foot-9 defenseman played 24 seasons in the NHL, most of them in Boston. He led the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Finals and finally lifted the coveted trophy in 2011.
«That guy is an animal,» Bruins star Brad Marchand said of Chara, via the team’s website. «I texted him just before the race and he’s amazing. How dedicated he is to everything. I’m not surprised.»
Former Boston Bruins player Zdeno Chara, center, interacts with other runners after completing the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023, in Boston. (Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
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«I was surprised that he didn’t win the race, to be honest with you. But he’s amazing, he’s a specimen. He’s a lot of fun to watch. He showed up in the room here [Tuesday]And I was very happy for him.»
According to NBC Sports Boston, other Boston athletes who ran in the marathon included former NFL quarterback and Boston College hero Doug Flutie and World Series champions Brock Holt and Ryan Dempster.