Amazfit, the smart wearables brand owned by Zepp Health, has added two of trail running’s most accomplished women to its athlete roster, announcing partnerships with New Zealand’s Ruth Croft and Spain’s Rosa Lara Feliu.
The deals mark one of the brand’s most visible moves in the endurance space since its short-lived partnership with marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February 2024.
Croft has been at the sharp end of trail and ultra racing for more than a decade, with career wins at the Golden Trail World Series, Mont Blanc Marathon, OCC by UTMB, Les Templiers, and Western States 100, as well as a runner-up finish at UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2024.
She has previously worked with another major sports watch manufacturer, and according to Amazfit, she will contribute feedback to product development alongside her racing commitments.
“I’ve spent years understanding what athletes truly need from their sports watches,” Croft said. “I look forward to bringing that knowledge to help Amazfit make products that meet those demands.”
Rosa Lara Feliu has emerged as one of Europe’s rising mountain-running names, with top finishes at Marathon du Mont-Blanc, Zegama-Aizkorri, and a victory at Val d’Aran by UTMB. Known for a measured, tactical racing style and ties to Spain’s grassroots trail scene, she adds a younger European profile to the brand’s athlete line-up.
Both runners will be using the company’s T-Rex 3 GPS watch and Helio Strap in training and competition. The watch includes GPS tracking, vertical gain measurement, pacing metrics, and other features common in endurance-focused wearables.
The brand’s entry into this market puts it up against long-established competitors such as Garmin, Suunto, and Coros, as well as the Apple Watch, which dominates in general smartwatch sales.
The Croft and Feliu signings suggest Amazfit is trying to build credibility in a competitive space by leaning on athlete involvement in design and testing, rather than solely relying on traditional sponsorship visibility.
With the sports watch market already crowded, the company’s challenge will be turning those partnerships into products that convince athletes to switch from brands they’ve trusted for years.
