Ex-Bruin Zdeno Chara Posts Stellar Time In First NYC Marathon

Zdeno Chara didn’t slow down after retiring from the NHL, literally and figuratively.

After playing 24 seasons at hockey’s highest level, Chara more than earned the opportunity to take his foot off the gas, kick back and enjoy retired life. But following a Hall of Fame-worthy playing career, the former Boston Bruins captain traded in his skates for running shoes.

Chara has become an avid runner in the latest chapter of his life, and he competed in another high-profile race Sunday. The 46-year-old ran the New York City Marathon and logged a very impressive time of three hours, 19 minutes and 19 seconds (7:36 pace).

The legendary defenseman shaved off nearly 20 minutes from his time in this year’s Boston Marathon, which features a notoriously difficult track that ends only a few miles from TD Garden. Chara also ran the NYC Marathon less than a month after he set a new personal record with a 3:16 time in the Baystate Marathon in Lowell, Mass. Furthermore, the six-time NHL All-Star ridiculously ran both the Maine Marathon and the Jackson Hole Marathon in a span of only eight days from late September to early October.

In an interview with the New York Post in September, Chara revealed the purpose of his marathon running is “pushing the limit.” After crossing off Boston and NYC, Chara plans to run the rest of the world’s “major” marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin and Chicago.