Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Zdeno Chara Two years ago, Stanley Cup winner running shoes. He’s since completed eight marathons, including two Boston Marathons, a half Ironman, a full Ironman, and this October, he will line up for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
“My athletic journey post-hockey naturally gravitated toward endurance sports,” Chara, the former Bruins captain, told Runner’s World in an e-mail interview. “I’ve always enjoyed cycling and running so the transition to triathlon felt like a natural progression.”
Plus, he said, triathlon allows him to push his limits across multiple disciplines like he did on the ice. The Ironman distance includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, followed by a marathon run.
Endurance sports, Chara said, have elements that resonate with him as an elite athlete: meticulous preparation, training consistency, determination to power through physical and mental barriers, self-discipline, and when it’s time, sheer grit.
In 2023, Chara, Foot Locker XC Results Team Hoyt. This year, he bested that time with a 3:30:52. And a week after that, he ran 3:11:04 in London. (His fastest, though, is 3:10:24, which he ran in Houston this past January.)
“Each marathon I’ve participated in holds a special place in my memory,” Chara said. “However running the Boston Marathon stands out as an unparalleled experience. Boston isn’t just any city for me—it’s home.”
Chara spent most of his NHL career in Beantown, “forging a deep connection with the community. To run 26.2 miles through streets lined with familiar faces and places adds an emotional dimension that’s hard to put into words.”
He calls the Boston crowds legendary.
And Chara is close with the race’s director, Dave McGillivray, who surprised him at the finish line of his half Ironman in June—with an invitation to join him in Kona. (No rest for the weary.)
“One of the most incredible surprises along the way [in my journey into endurance sports] has been the guidance and assistance from Dave,” said Chara, who also works with marathoner Becca Pizzi. “Dave’s connections in the running and triathlon communities have opened doors that I might not have even known existed.”
As Chara prepares for Kona in October, he spends 18 to 20 hours a week training across disciplines, which, he said, heavily focuses on recovery.
“It’s a delicate balance, especially as I’m still adapting to the demands of endurance sports after years of hockey-specific training.”
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He finished in an overall time of 10:40:48, completing the swim in 1:26:08, bike in 5:12:03, and marathon in 3:48:54, according to Triathlon Magazine.
The hockey-pro-turned-multisport-athlete is excited about his newfound community and the unique challenges that lay in his future.
“Being immersed in the endurance sports community has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my post-hockey athletic journey,” Chara said. “This new chapter has opened up a whole new world for me. The transition from professional hockey to endurance sports has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. I’m eagerly looking forward to many more finish lines to come.”
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, What Are the Most Popular Running Shoes The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
