“I did exactly the opposite of what you’re meant to do,” admits ‘The Vampire Diaries’ alum, who managed to document her scary encounter with the large animal.
Claire Holt is sharing an unexpected encounter she had with a black bear while going for a run.
On Thursday, the Australian Vampire Diaries and The Originals alum — who lives in the US and is training for the New York City marathon — posted a series of photos and a video on her Instagram Stories, in which she detailed how she was chased by a bear during a run — and how she reacted, per the Daily Mail.
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Holt, 37, shared a clip of the animal running toward her, writing, “The moment my zone 2 run turned to a zone 5,” which refers to the heart rate zones used for marathon training, with Zone 5 being considered the highest.
“Sharks, bees, BEARS,” she added in a follow-up image that showed the bear appearing to charge towards her.
The Vampire Diaries alum went on to share a photo of herself gripping an EpiPen, which, of course, is used to treat severe allergic reactions. Alongside the shot, Holt joked, “Guess I could have stabbed him with my new EpiPen.”
Holt then posted a selfie of herself in her head-to-toe marathon gear, including her Hoka sneakers, and revealed how she reacted to being chased by the black bear, admitting that she did not follow the known safety instructions.
“I did exactly the opposite of what you’re meant to do and sprinted in the other direction as fast as my little Hokas would carry me,” she wrote.
Per the US National Park Service’s website, if you cannot avoid a bear encounter, there are “strategies” — including “dos” and “don’ts” — on how to “prevent the situation from escalating.”
One of the “don’ts?” What Holt did. “Do NOT run or make any sudden movements,” the NPS writes. “Do not make any loud noises or screams– the bear may think it’s the sound of a prey animal.”
Holt has often kept her fans updated on her marathon running journey, with the star having run the New York City marathon several times in the past.
Earlier this month, the 47 Meters Down actress officially announced that she would be participating in the 2025 NYC marathon.
On July 20, Holt shared on Instagram that she was one week into her marathon training.
“First official week of training for the NYC marathon!” she captioned a compilation of videos of herself running, cycling, hiking, and more. “Felt like hot garbage on my Thursday PM run but otherwise pretty damn good. Only 15 weeks to go 🥵.”
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