 Born Sharon Yvonne Oden in Los Angeles, California and raised in the Antelope Valley, Runner graduated from Antelope Valley High School and attended Antelope Valley College.Runner was an officer for the Antelope Valley Republican Assembly and remained active in many Republican groups in the Antelope Valley, including the Palmdale and High Desert Republican Women's Clubs, until her death.She served on the board of California Women Lead, a bi-partisan organization that encourages and empowers women running for public office.