Former Boston Bruins Captain is Now a Marathon Machine

Zeeeeeeeee!

Everyone knows former Boston Bruins captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara. He is hard to miss, standing at six feet nine inches tall.

Big Z was a part of the Boston Bruins for 14 seasons in the NHL (from 2006 to 2020). Now that he has officially retired, you would think he would relax a bit. Maybe take some time off to golf, or relax. Nope, not Big Z.

Chara ran the Boston Marathon last year (2023) in three hours and 38 minutes. However, that was just his first marathon. Since then, Chara has shaved almost a half hour off of his running time in just one year.

This year, Chara is running in the Boston Marathon again. What is even more impressive is that after Boston's Marathon on Monday, Big Z will fly to London to run another marathon on Sunday.

Two marathons in one week. Crazy.

“The feeling of crossing the finish line and having fun on the course and being fit and in good shape just gives you the confidence and excitement to sign up for another one,” according to a Boston Globe article.

You may be thinking, "Okay, Chara is cool and all, but why is this 'news?'"

Well, it is worth noting that Big Z is 47 years old. And since retiring from the NHL, he has accomplished six marathons, a half ironman, a 50 km trail race, and a handful of road races. And he has no plan on slowing down.

“Once you’ve done one, you just don’t want to stop,” said Chara, according to the Boston Globe. “No, I didn’t take any kind of break.”