Rob Krar Joins The North Face Global Athlete Team

The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, today announced ultra-runner Rob Krar, of Flagstaff, Ariz. has joined its global athlete team. The North Face has a team of more than 70 professional global athletes, which includes runners, snowboarders, skiers, rock climbers and mountaineers

“Rob has proven that he is a world-class competitor at any distance, but it is his ability to push his mental and physical limits in the outdoors that make him such a great addition to our athlete team,“ said Aaron Carpenter, vice president of marketing for The North Face. “The way he dove headfirst into ultrarunning, how he’s attacked longer distances this season, and his passion for environmental stewardship is inspiring to the entire family at The North Face. We are excited to work with him in accomplishing his goals.”

A competitive runner in high school and college, Krar started running ultra distances on a whim last year “just to see what it would be like.” Although he has been running and racing for years, he won the La Sportiva Mountain Cup in 2012 and set the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the single crossing of the Grand Canyon north to south route in little more than 2h51m. In his short time on the ultrarunning scene, Krar has made a 

name for himself.

With a focus on longer distances, Krar started the 2013 season with a record-setting win at the Leona Divide 50 in Southern California in April, besting the rest of the field by nearly an hour and earning entry into the renowned Western States Endurance Run. Just 13 days later, he achieved what he calls his proudest running accomplishment to date: Blazing across the Grand Canyon and back — 42 miles — in 6h21m, shattering the FKT previously held by Dakota Jones on what is known as the Rim to Rim to Rim by an incredible 32 minutes.

In July, Krar doubled the farthest distance he’d ever run in his Western State 100 debut and, in near record-setting heat, placed second just minutes behind fellow The North Face athlete and two-time Western States 100 Champion Timothy Olson.

Alongside veteran The North Face team member Michael Wardian, Krar will be representing The North Face for the first time Saturday in the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) 100k in Colorado.

“I’m thrilled to be an ambassador of The North Face, a company committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and exploring the unexplored,” said Krar. “It’s humbling to be included among so many remarkable athletes as a member of the global team, many of whom have inspired me to push beyond my perceived limitations and persevere.”

Krar will be working closely with The North Face Research, Design and Development team, on performance apparel and footwear. His expertise and experience will add to the rapidly developing collection. When he’s not running, he can be found climbing Flagstaff’s limestone rocks, casting a line in the Colorado River or rolling the beautiful single-track on his mountain bike.

For more than 40 years The North Face has teamed up with the world’s best athletes, mountaineers, alpinists, climbers, skiers, snowboarders and endurance adventurers who have defined the limits of what is humanly possible. The North Face ultra-running Team includes Jez Bragg, Sébastien Chaigneau, Lizzy Hawker, Tsuyoshi Kaburaki, Dean Karnazes, Nikki Kimball, Hal Koerner, Kami Semick, Diane Van Deren, Michael Wardian, Mike Wolfe, Rory Bosio, and Timothy Olson and all are excited to have Krar as part of the team.

About The North Face®

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered Alameda, Calif., the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.