Less than a week after running Boston, Zdeno Chara finishes London Marathon

After all, the future Hall-of-Fame defenseman skated in the final three games of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final with a broken jaw. 

But running 52.4 miles in under a week? It’s just the latest in a long line of athletic feats for the former Bruins captain.

Just six days after finishing his second Boston Marathon with a time of 3:30:53, Chara finished the 2024 London Marathon on Sunday afternoon — completing the race with a time of 3:11:04. 

Chara’s latest conquest marks the eighth marathon that he’s completed within a year’s time, as well as one of the fastest results of his distance-running career. His personal best is 3:10:24

(7:16 per mile), set during the Chevron Houston Marathon in January.

Chara’s London time is nearly 20 minutes faster than his performance during the 2024 Boston Marathon — although Boston’s hilly terrain and unpredictable weather make it one of the most

challenging 26.2-mile courses in the world. 

Last week, Bruins captain Brad Marchand admitted that he was not surprised to see Chara set his sights on a new athletic venture after hanging up his skates. 

“Not really surprised. You knew he was gonna find something that was really competitive, very hard — something that takes a lot of training,” Marchand said. “Something he can continue to

improve upon. He’s just a beast. He likes the challenge. With his mindset and the way that he’s prepared for so long every single day, he was going to have to find something that he could

continue to do that.

“So it’s great for him. 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 in retirement.”

It doesn’t seem like the 47-year-old Chara is showing any signs of slowing down.

During an interview with the New York Post in September, Chara said he plans on taking part in the other “major” marathons beyond Boston, New York City, and London — which includes Tokyo,

Berlin, and Chicago. 

Chara’s next challenge might be getting some of his former teammates to join him on the 26.2-mile gauntlet. 

“I’ve tried a lot of things. lately. I’ve tried tennis and played soccer,” Patrice Bergeron said of his current hobbies during an interview with NHL Network in November. “[Chara] has tried

to get me to run some marathons with him. I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet because I don’t think my hips and my knees could actually keep up — my back as well.

“So I don’t know how he does it and kudos to him. Zee, I love you. … Eventually, I’d love to get a challenge going and find a way to kind of challenge myself with something to look forward

to and kind of work for and get ready for.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.