At the 2024 Boston Marathon, Zdeno Chara, former captain for the NHL’s Boston Bruins, beat his personal record while raising money for charity.
Chara, now 47 years old, spent 24 seasons in the NHL. Since retiring on September 20, 2022, Chara has stayed active by running in events like the Watuppa Trail Races, the Baystate Marathon, and the 128th Boston Marathon. This year, Chara finished the Boston Marathon with a final time of 03:30:52, shaving nearly eight minutes off his 2023 finish time of 3:38:23.
Both years, Chara ran in support of the The Hoyt Foundation, a non-profit group that “aspires to build the individual character, self-confidence and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life.” During Chara’s 2024 Boston Marathon run, he raised over $25,000 for the organization.
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“They were such iconic figures,” Chara said of the late Rick and Dick Hoyt while speaking to The Boston Globe, “living legends that have done so much for the community.”
On Instagram, the Boston Bruins celebrated Chara’s performance. As current Bruins captain Brad Marchand commented in an NHL.com article, he was “not really surprised” about Chara’s active post-NHL schedule. “You knew [Chara] was going to find something really competitive, very hard,” Marchand said. “Something that takes a lot of training, something he can improve upon. He’s just a beast. He likes the challenge.”
So, what’s next for Chara? Boston.com writer Conor Ryan reports that Chara will soon be off to England for the London Marathon on April 21.
“It’s great for him,” Marchand said. “I’m happy to see him happy and enjoying something after hockey. He dedicated so much time and effort to the game, it’s great that he has another passion that he’s enjoying.”
Read more about the athletes and celebrities who showed up to the 2024 Boston Marathon here.