Rhonda Claridge

About

Rhonda Claridge is an American ultrarunner originally from the Bahamas who moved to the high country of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains in 1992, settling in Ophir, Colorado at altitude. A longtime English instructor at Colorado Mesa University's Montrose Campus since 1999, she built one of the Mountain West's most respected ultra records across a decade of competition centred on the demanding high-altitude courses of the American West. She won the Bear 100 Mile Run and broke the course record, and took the women's title at the Cactus Rose 100 in 21:49:28. She placed second female and 17th overall at the Leadville Trail 100 in 21:11:00, and finished third female at the Run Rabbit Run 100 in 2013. She also competed internationally at the Ehunmilak 100 in the Spanish Basque Country, a race with 36,000 feet of vertical ascent. Claridge was 44 at the time of her Cactus Rose win, competing with a deep mastery of high-altitude mountain terrain accumulated through two decades of living and training above 9,000 feet.

Notable Wins

• — Bear 100 Mile CR
• — Cactus Rose 100 women's winner (21:49:28)
• — Leadville Trail 100 2nd female (21:11:00)
• — Run Rabbit Run 100 3rd female 2013

Race History