Long-established Swedish outdoor brand Craft has been moving further into the trail running and ultrarunning sphere in the past couple of years, with big names on their Elite Run Team including Tim Freriks, Aroa Sio, and Ida Nilsson. For 2023, they have unveiled three new additions to their growing lineup — top U.S. ultrarunners Arlen Glick and Tim Tollefson, and their home country’s Mimmi Kotka.
Niklas Moberg, Head of Brand at Craft, said, “We are super-excited to expand our strong team with Arlen, Tim, and Mimmi. They are all world-class runners who will bring extreme willpower, unique personalities, and great team spirit to the lineup.”
Arlen Glick — in his own words — “eats 100 milers for breakfast,” and his collection of course records includes the Burning River 100 Mile and the Mohican 100 Mile. He had a stormer of a year in 2022. Perhaps his best-known result was a third-place finish at Western States 100, but he was also crowned 2022 USATF road 100-mile national champion, and took third place at the Javelina 100 Mile in October, just six weeks after placing second at the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile. Run Rabbit Run was a new departure for Glick into more mountainous racing, and he handled it with ease.
Arlen Glick, one of the latest additions to the Craft Elite Run Team. All photos: Craft
In spite of all this success, he still lacked a major sponsor — something he largely put down to his lack of a social media presence. On the new signing with Craft, Glick said, “I am very happy to have finally met a brand that sees through all this and will work with me based on how I run and who I am, rather than what I do or, in my case, don’t do on social media. Joining Craft’s Elite Run Team will undoubtedly help me focus on my running in a way I’ve never been able to do before.”
Tim Tollefson, who is moving on after six years with Hoka, has long been a household name in American ultrarunning, with big results at home and in Europe. Wins include the 2020 Javelina 100 Mile and the 2019 Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB — he also placed third at UTMB in both 2016 and 2017.
Tim Tollefson hitting the road in his new Craft kit.
He said of the move, “It is with great excitement and pride that I have found a permanent home within the Craft team. Their commitment to the environment, the future of this sport, and the voices they will elevate mirror the values I cherish deeply. Craft has belief in my audacious goals, and more importantly, a belief in me as a person, mentally and physically. This faith will be key as we unlock dormant reserves and set out to light the trail world on fire.”
Similarly, Mimmi Kotka, who formerly ran with La Sportiva, brings a wealth of big mountain experience to the Craft team. Her resume includes wins in the 2016 CCC, 2017 TDS, and the 2022 Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB, to name but a few. She also placed third at the 2021 UTMB.
Craft has long been a brand close to her heart and she said, “For me, growing up in Sweden, Craft feels nostalgic and familiar. The vibe of the brand today is super fresh, but it has been around forever. We all wore those base layers back in the day. So that is cool, but it is mostly the people that makes this decision the right one.
“Craft’s focus on building a trail team from the inside out (not the other way around) and going in to this crazy and beautiful sport with tons of positive energy and pioneer spirit really excites me. And the team is such a cool mix of people, with the ones I know being just as great humans as they are athletes. I know we are going to have a great time on the trails!”
Mimmi Kotka putting her new Craft gear to the test.
The relatively new Craft Elite Run Team was launched in 2021, and now also includes Tommy Rivers Puzey, Jacob Puzey, Tessa Chesser, EmKay Sullivan, Manuela Vilaseca, David Laney, Alexander Holmblad, and Lee Grantham. No doubt this is a team we will be seeing plenty of on the trails and atop some of the major podiums in 2023.
Mimmi Kotka lacing up for a run in her new Craft gear.
