Final week in Tokyo, former Ottawa Senators defenceman and Slovakian hockey legend Zdeno Chara turned the primary and (doubtless solely) member of the Hockey Corridor of Fame to turn out to be an Abbott Six-Star Marathon finisher.
Three years after his distance operating profession started on the 2023 Boston Marathon, Chara completed the 2026 Tokyo Marathon in three hours and 57 minutes, checking the ultimate marathon main off his bucket checklist to finish the Six-Star problem.
The 48-year-old has now run Boston, New York, London, Berlin, Chicago, and Tokyo, becoming a member of the checklist of solely 24,000 runners to earn this prestigious medal, and the one one to even be within the Hockey Corridor of Fame. (There are solely 310 inductees within the Hockey Corridor of Fame.)
“The Abbott World Marathon Majors are formally full,” Chara wrote on social media. “Many early mornings, a lot of classes discovered, and each end line introduced unforgettable reminiscences. I’m grateful for the help from mates, household, fellow runners, and the superb race communities with all of the volunteers serving to us alongside the way in which.”
Chara made his marathon debut as a celeb charity runner in Boston, and from that second on, he was hooked on endurance challenges, finishing a number of ultras, Ironmans and path races. His quickest marathon time was on the 2024 London Marathon, the place he completed in 3:11:04. His slowest was in Tokyo.
He nonetheless holds the all-time NHL report for many video games performed by a defenceman, with 1,680. Chara performed for 4 groups over his 20+ yr profession. He began his profession with the New York Islanders and went on to play for the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.
In January, Chara had his well-known #33 raised to the rafters of Boston’s TD Backyard, changing into the primary European participant to have his quantity retired by the Bruins franchise.
Now along with his Hockey Corridor of Fame and Six-Star marathon problem sidequest full, who is aware of what sport will likely be subsequent for Chara to overcome?
