Lululemon to sponsor ‘ultramarathon’ for women

Lululemon is launching an initiative that will put a spotlight on female athletes.

Called Further, the initiative is designed to demonstrate how far women can go when they are  supported with resources and product innovations typically reserved for men,  the company said.  It will culminate in a six-day, "first-of-its-kind" ultramarathon for women that will begin on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024. 

The event, which Lululemon announced the same day it launched its first-ever road-to-trail running shoe (called blissfeel trail) is expected to include 10 women from the brand's “global ambassador” collective, spanning North America, China and APAC. (See list of participants at end of article.) Each will run the furthest distance of their careers with the opportunity to set world records, the activewear company said. The marathon will take place on a certified looped course with the location to be announced.

Head-to-toe product kits, including new apparel and footwear innovations (to be announced), will be developed in partnership with the athletes and shaped by Lululemon’s history and expertise in designing for women.  The company announced the new initiative the same day it launched its first-ever women's road-to-trail running shoe, Blissfeel Trail.

Each of the participating Lululemon athletes in the ultramarathon will have access to leading sport science and medicine support to inform personalized training programs spanning physical, mental, and emotional support, with research taking place throughout their training and during the ultramarathon event. Findings will be published beginning March 2024.

The Further initiative will also include a holistic scientific research program addressing the existing sex and gender data gap on endurance performance, new women-first product innovations, community activations, and a giveback component to support young women.

As part of the initiative, Lululemon, in partnership with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and the brand’s research network, will conduct a series of research studies to better understand female endurance performance and human endurance performance in general.

In a release, Lululemon noted that women are typically under-represented in scientific research — an audit of select sport science and sports medicine journals found only 4% to 13% of published studies were female only. The new body of research is intended to address the limited knowledge around female athletes while bringing awareness to the need for additional research.

 “Further is grounded in our purpose at Lululemon to unlock greater possibility and wellbeing for all, and we see it as an opportunity to better serve women, solving for their specific unmet needs," said Nikki Neuburger, chief brand officer of Lululemon. "With Further, we aim to inspire belief in what is possible for women when they’re supported with resources typically reserved for men.”

Added Chantelle Murnaghan, VP, research and product innovation, Lululemon: “In partnership with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, we aim to inspire and unlock new understanding around female endurance performance while addressing the sex and gender data gap in sports medicine.”

"We’ll also uncover insights into the performance requirements of running products, which can shape our pipeline of future women-first innovations,” she added. 

The ultramarathon participants include:

• Camille Herron (Age: 41): Ultrarunner, world record holder;
• Devon Yanko (Age: 40): Ultrarunner, podcast host;
• Kayla Jeter (Age: 33): Strength & wellness coach, mindfulness strategist, runner;
• Leah Yingling (Age: 32): Ultrarunner, biomedical engineer, women’s advocate;
• Mirna Valerio (Age: 47): Ultrarunner, author, adventurer;
• Montana Farrah-Seaton (Age: 26): Ultrarunner, strength and conditioning coach, model;
• Stefanie Flippin (Age: 33): Coach and ultrarunner, BIPOC advocate, doctor;
• Vriko Kwok (Age: 31): Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete, entrepreneur, friend;
• Xiaomeng Jia (Age: 38): Marathon runner, world traveller; and
• Yoon Young Kang (Age: 43): Ultrarunner, Judo Black Belt, joy seeker.