Boston Marathon

Zdeno Chara towered over the other runners at the 2023 Boston Marathon

The 6'9" former Bruins defender inspired plenty of photos and jokes throughout the 2023 Boston Marathon.

By Kevin Slane

April 17, 2023

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Even without skates, former Boston Bruins defender Zdeno Chara was head and shoulders above the competition at the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Sporting bib number 3333 (no doubt a nod to his No. 33 jersey), the legendary Bruins defender, who spent 14 seasons with the team and won a Stanley Cup in 2011, finished the 2023 Boston Marathon with a time of 3:38:23.

Spectators posted photos and videos from the race course throughout Chara’s run.

Given Chara’s well-above-average height, plenty of viewers (and Twitter comedians) weighed in with comments.

“Are we sure that’s Zdeno Chara?” joked NESN’s Mike Cole.

“Imagine in the middle of running a marathon, you look to your side and your eyes are directly in line with some guy’s bicep,” tweeted hockey reporter Tom Gulitti.

Chara ran the race in support of the Thomas E. Smith Foundation and the Hoyt Foundation. Father and son duo Dick and Rick Hoyt were Boston Marathon fixtures for years, with Dick, who passed away in 2021, pushing Rick in a wheelchair. The Smith Foundation supports those living with paralysis, while the Hoyt Foundation aims to “build the individual character, self-confidence and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people.”

After the race, Chara told WCVB’s Duke Castiglione that the anniversary of the bombings was in his thoughts as he finished the race.

“What this city and the people showed, how they came together and supported each other at the time, it was incredibly motivational and inspiring for all of us,” Chara said. “Running 10 years later, I always had it in the back of my mind. I just tried to obviously give my best those last few miles. I was thinking of all the people who were affected, and all the families.”