Professional trail runner Klaire Rhodes has recounted the frightening moments after she was attacked by a brown bear while running solo on a well-known Alaska trail.
Rhodes, a North Face athlete, was on the Wolverine Bowl Trail near Anchorage’s Prospect Heights trailhead on Thursday morning when she came face to face with the bear.
During the encounter, Rhodes was able to use her bear spray, then escape the animal and make it back to the trailhead without assistance.
She was later transported to a hospital, where she was treated for a deep puncture wound to her left hip, along with claw and bite marks across her body.
‘On Thursday morning, I was attacked by a brown bear on a trail I run every week,’ Rhodes wrote in an Instagram post two days later.
“I’m not going to rehash the encounter here because the internet is a weird place with a lot of unsolicited opinions,” Rhodes wrote after the attack.
“I’m the only one that was there and feel incredibly fortunate that I came out of the situation with relatively minor injuries, with the most severe being a deep puncture wound to my left hip and claw and teeth marks on my body.”
Rhodes called the bear attack “a nightmare come to life,” but said she felt proud of the way she reacted under extreme pressure.
Professional trail runner Klaire Rhodes was attacked by a brown bear while running alone on Alaska’s Wolverine Bowl Trail on August 13
Klaire Rhodes shared photos of tracks from the trail where she narrowly escaped a terrifying brown bear attack.
The North Face athlete deployed bear spray during the attack before making her way back to the trailhead alone
‘I might share the full story another time, which I know will open a can of worms of opinions on what I did or didn’t do wrong, but I’d rather be in control of the narrative instead of leaving the Facebook trolls to their speculation,’ she wrote.
‘The outcome was just about as good as it could have been and I’m actually really proud of how I handled a completely terrifying situation.’
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed that an adult woman running alone was injured after encountering a brown bear on the Wolverine Bowl Trail on August 13.
Officials said the runner deployed bear spray before ‘self-rescuing’ to the trailhead and being transported to a local hospital.
Wildlife biologists interviewed Rhodes and searched the location for the bear and other signs of activity.
They collected samples from the scene but were unable to locate the animal.
Rhodes said the attack had not erased her love for the Chugach trails, which have long formed a major part of her life and training.
‘Running in the Chugach is where I feel most at home,’ she wrote.
Rhodes described the terrifying encounter as ‘a nightmare come to life’ but said she was proud of how she handled it
Rhodes escaped with a deep puncture wound to her left hip and claw and teeth marks across her body
Wildlife biologists searched the site and collected samples after interviewing Rhodes but were unable to locate the bear
‘It just so happens to also be someone else’s home too, and despite all the precautions in the world, it’s just a risk that a lot of us choose to take to live life in the way we love.’
Rhodes also described the complicated emotions she experienced after surviving the attack with injuries that she characterized as relatively minor.
‘Strange to feel triggered thinking about running in the woods and already feeling antsy to do so again,’ she wrote.
‘Strange to feel overwhelmed with gratitude to be okay and knowing I probably have some intense trauma to work through.’
The attack came less than two weeks before Rhodes was preparing to compete in Europe.
Her website listed the CCC in Chamonix, France, among her upcoming races, although she said she did not yet know whether she would be able to compete.
‘I’m not sure where this leaves me with racing in Europe on the calendar in less than two weeks,’ Rhodes wrote.
‘I’m bummed to not be finishing out my training block in the way I wanted. I know it doesn’t really matter.
Officials posted warning signs near the Prospect Heights trailhead and urged visitors to remain off closed trails
‘It’s strange to come out of an incredibly traumatic event with minimal enough injuries to even feel hopeful about racing.’
Rhodes, who describes herself as a professional trail runner and coach on her website, signed with The North Face in 2024.
She has won Alaska’s grueling Mount Marathon Race for three consecutive years.
Last month, she completed the 3.1-mile course, which climbs and descends more than 3,000 feet, in 49 minutes and 55 seconds to secure her third straight women’s title, according to the Alaska Sports Report.
Rhodes also finished second in the Speedgoat 50K in July and won The Big Alta 50K in March, according to her UTMB profile.
Her planned week of intense training has instead been replaced by rest as she recovers physically and begins processing the trauma.
‘What was supposed to be a big week of training is now a big weekend of couch time, but I’m really lucky that I’ll be back to doing my thing relatively soon,’ Rhodes wrote.
‘So grateful for my support system and for so many people checking in on me.
‘And yes, bear spray works.’
The attack came less than two weeks before Rhodes was expected to race in Chamonix, France
Officials posted warning signs at the Prospect Heights trailhead following the attack and urged hikers to remain off any closed trails.
The department warned that dense summer foliage can obscure sightlines and increase the risk of surprising a bear.
Officials advised people entering bear country to travel in groups, make noise, keep pets leashed and carry an immediately accessible deterrent.
Hikers should not run from a bear and should instead remain calm, stand their ground and retreat slowly if the animal remains stationary, officials said.
Bear spray should be EPA-registered, have a range of at least 25 feet and contain between one and two percent capsaicin and capsaicinoids.
Officials also advised hikers to practice using bear spray and check its expiration date, as older canisters can lose pressure and fail to deploy properly.
The Daily Mail has contacted Rhodes, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and The North Face for further comment.
