Boston Bruins hockey great Zdeno Chara revealed on Sunday via Instagram that he will be running in his first marathon, and where else? He’ll be making his marathon debut in Boston on April 17.
“What better first marathon than the Boston Marathon on April 17th!” he captioned the Instagram photo, which shows him posing next to Boston Marathon legend Dick Hoyt and his son Rick.
Chara added that he would be running the race in support of the Hoyt Foundation, which works towards inclusivity for disabled persons in all facets of daily life. “The Hoyt Foundation has an amazing legacy with the [Boston Athletic Association] and this iconic marathon,” he added in the caption.
In addition to the Hoyt Foundation, the former Bruin said he’d also be running for the Thomas E. Smith Foundation, citing Smith as “one of the most resilient and inspiring stories” in Boston sports.
“With his passion and dedication, his foundation continuously helps those affected by and living with paralysis,” Chara said in the post.
In the Instagram caption, Chara says that the Hoyts’ story of perseverance personally motivated the Bruins to their 2011 Stanley Cup title, adding that their story has similarly inspired millions of people worldwide.
Dick Hoyt, the iconic Boston Marathon runner who passed away in September 2021 at 80, became renowned for running the race while pushing his son in a wheelchair for the full 26.2 miles a stunning 32 times. They last ran the race together in 2014.
“Team Hoyt” became a fixture of the Boston Marathon, running the race almost yearly from 1980 until 2014. The duo also participated in other races and triathlons, including Ironman competitions. Hoyt, who wasn’t a runner until he got involved in Boston with Rick, credited his son for helping him never give up while running. “I got a motivator, and that’s my son. He’s the one that motivates me and inspires me,” Hoyt told Stride Nation in 2013. “With him being out there, we’ve never had the thoughts or any ideas of giving up and quitting any races that we’ve been involved in. It’s just amazing.”
Chara, who stands a mighty 6 feet, 9 inches tall, also included a donation link on his Instagram account for fans to contribute to and said he hopes to see them cheer him on along the course as he runs in his first Boston Marathon.
Chara, a Slovakia native, spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons in Boston, was one of the league’s top defenseman. Last September, he signed a one-day contract with the team to retire in Boston.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
