Chara runs impressive New York City Marathon time, rooted on by Islanders

One runner at the 2023 New York City Marathon was head-and-shoulders above the rest.

Zdeno Chara , the legendary 6-foot-9 defenseman who played 24 NHL seasons before retiring in 2022, ran the famous race Sunday.

One of his former teams, the New York Islanders, shared a video of Chara running on social media.

In the video, Chara is seen towering over the crowd when someone on the sidelines gets his attention. He lets out a big smile and the camera pans to a sign that reads "Go Big Z!" held up by someone wearing Islanders colors.

No stranger to New York -- he was selected by the Islanders in the third round (No. 56) of the 1996 NHL Draft and played for them from 1997-2001 before returning for his final season in 2021-22, finished the 26.2-mile race in an impressive 3:19:19.

Chara, who captained the 2010-11 Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup championship as part of his 14 seasons there, ran the 2023 Boston Marathon in 3:38:23, which was lauded as an incredible time for a first-timer.
If the tallest player in NHL history-turned accomplished distance runner wanted to compete in every city where he played NHL home games, he needs only to complete a marathon in Ottawa (he played four seasons for the Senators from 2001-2006) and Washington D.C. (he played for the Capitals in 2020-21).