"I still don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to give it my best shot," Messier told NHL.com. "I don't really have any goals, but I think finishing would be a tremendous feat for me."
He admits that he's been struggling with getting into running shape after spending 25 years skating in the NHL for three teams, including some memorable years with the New York Rangers.
After a 19-mile training run, Messier recounted, "I felt like I could never take another step for the rest of my life. My feet were sore, killing me. Every bone in my body ached."
But for a guy who helped erase a 54-year Stanley Cup drought for the Rangers, you'd expect 26.2 miles to be a piece of cake.
Messier will run to raise money for two charities: the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund as well as the Tomorrows Children's Fund.
