Head-to-toe athlete kits, including a newly launched special edition beyondfeel running shoe, featured women-first innovations shaped by athletes and research insights

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 10 athletes from lululemon's global ambassador collective completed their journey to run their furthest distance and set multiple records at the brand’s FURTHER ultramarathon, which showcased just how far women can go with support and access to resources and product innovations typically reserved for men. It began on March 6, ahead of International Women’s Day, and culminated today, March 12, at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, California.

All 10 athletes surpassed their furthest distance and ran a collective 2,880.88 miles (4,634.9 Kilometers.) Ultrarunner Camille Herron set a total of 13 records at FURTHER (pending ratification) including:

Women’s Six-Day World Record at 560.33 miles surpassing previous record by over 11 miles.
Women’s World Best for 300 miles (59:54:28), 400 miles (88:34:26), 500 miles (118:19:17), 500K (62:50:17), 600K (81:23:38), 700K (98:33:59), 800K (117:44:55), 900K (142:40:58) – surpassing previously held records by 8-19 hours.
Women’s World Bests for 72-hour (342.091 miles), 96-hour (429.8369 miles), 120-hour (501.7539 miles).

The USA Track & Field sanctioned event followed the rules set forth by the International Association of Ultrarunners and the 2.56 mile looped course was measured and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

All athletes wore head-to-toe lululemon kits co-created with them to meet their unique needs. The 36 new innovations considered situational and always-on functions and are shaped by athlete insights and backed by research. A special edition colourway of beyondfeel, the brand’s latest running shoe and a featured piece of the FURTHER kits that supported athletes in making history is now available globally online in markets with lululemon footwear. The beyondfeel shoe launches in all colorways on March 19^thand will be available in-store and online. Key features include new supercritical foam cushioning for a softer heel to toe glide, and a seamless, ventilated mesh that stretches and supports each step.

“Women have historically been overlooked and underserved in athletics, and as a brand committed to helping all people feel their best, we have a responsibility to create more equity for our communities by investing to close this gap,” said Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon. “When supported with innovation and resources, we are confident women will continue to redefine the limits of what’s possible. This is the motivation and purpose behind our FURTHER initiative.”

The design collaboration with female athletes underscores the brand’s continued commitment to supporting women with research, innovations, and resources they’ve long been denied, to help them unlock greater possibilities. The 10 athletes who took part in FURTHER inspire the communities they represent, have a unique running story, and expressed the desire to pursue a bold goal.

Participating lululemon ambassadors from around the world included:

Montana Farrah-Seaton (Age: 27): Ultrarunner, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Model from Melbourne Australia ran 315.82 miles (508.26 Km)
Stefanie Flippin (Age: 34): Coach and Ultrarunner, BIPOC Advocate, Doctor from Evergreen, Colorado, USA ran 112.19 miles (180.55 Km)
Camille Herron (Age: 42): Ultrarunner, World Record Holder from Tucson, Arizona, USA ran 560.33 miles (901.76 Km)
Kayla Jeter (Age: 34): Runner, Strength & Wellness Coach from Chicago, Illinois, USA ran 234.32 miles (377.10 Km)
Xiaomeng Jia (Age: 38): Marathon Runner, Entrepreneur from Beijing, China ran 300.54 miles (483.67 Km)
Yoon Young Kang (Age: 44): Ultrarunner, Judo Black Belt, Joy Seeker from Seoul, South Korea ran 313.27 miles (504.15 Km)
Vriko Kwok (Age: 32): Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athlete, Runner, Entrepreneur from Hong Kong SAR, China ran 188.47 miles (303.31 Km)
Mirna Valerio (Age: 48): Ultrarunner, Author, Adventurer from Winooski, Vermont, USA ran 142.63 miles (229.54 Km)
Devon Yanko (Age: 41): Ultrarunner, Coach & Mentor, Food Entrepreneur from Howard, Colorado, USA ran 313.27 miles (504.15 Km)
Leah Yingling (Age: 32): Ultrarunner, Biomedical Engineer, Women’s Advocate from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA ran 400 miles (643.73 Km)

Running Innovations to Take Athletes Further
The collaboration with the featured runners helped lululemon to create products that can not only support them but also be of use to others. The designs factored in research insights tied to improving performance and extending running duration, such as the role of compression and cooling.

“Our ambassadors shared what they needed for a multi-day race, and we knew we could create something that hasn’t been seen in the sport,” said Chantelle Murnaghan, Vice President, Research and Product Innovation, lululemon. “These innovations were designed to solve the real problems these athletes and many women runners experience. By understanding their holistic needs and using our research insights, we engineered bespoke kits that meet their physical and emotional needs so they can unlock their potential.”

Key designs include:

beyondfeel Women’s Running Shoe – Shaped by guest insights and validated by FURTHER athletes to redefine how comfortable and supportive a running shoe can feel, this was built off a unique last informed by the shape of the female foot.
- New supercritical foam offers a cushioned feel and softer heel-to-toe glide, and a ventilated mesh that stretches and supports each step.
- Special edition colourway was created for athlete kits and now available online here, with comparable men’s running shoe here.
Support Code Bra – A high-support running bra with a minimalist, chafe-free construction. Through its advanced make, technology, and material, this sports bra unlocks a new sensory experience for a barely there feeling. Runners can move comfortably while feeling supported and without restriction. Formally launches to the public in Fall 2024. A bespoke version was created for the athletes with an added storage feature, made with a proprietary construction, to hold running essentials like hydration and nutrition.
Runsie – Inspired by the opportunity to evolve the women’s ultra uniform, it fuses performance with aesthetic. It does this through a comfortable on-body feel, 360-degree waistband storage, unique design and construction at the back and waist to simplify bathroom breaks, legwear split for range of motion, and other intentional product benefits.
Cooling apparel and accessories – Designed to prioritize cooling functionality and elevate performance, the Running Ice Vest has a women-first design, storage features, and delivers targeted cooling informed by scientific research and insights.
- Other innovations include an ice tank, UV cooling ice sleeves, and cooling headwear.

Continued Research into Unmet Needs
lululemon's scientific research program, led by the brand’s internal research team and operated in partnership with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and lululemon’s academic research network, will continue during and after the race to better understand human performance by advancing women’s-first research and helping close the sex and gender data gap in sports science.

The ongoing research will dive deep into topical questions such as whether female ultrarunners have superior fatigue resistance compared to males and will study areas that haven’t been explored, such as the lived experiences of women ultrarunners and the physiological and biomechanical effects of six days of running. All findings will be published over the next two years, with initial findings to be published in the Fall of 2024. Takeaways will serve as a catalyst for additional research on female and women athletes and inform lululemon’s pipeline of women-first innovations.

Partnering with Girls Opportunity Alliance
lululemon is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent access to wellbeing and partners with organizations that share a similar mission. Through the lululemon Centre for Social Impact, the brand is making an additional $1.5 million USD contribution to Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Girls Opportunity Alliance is a program of the Obama Foundation focused on empowering adolescent girls globally through education and wellbeing tools, allowing them to achieve their full potential. Too often, girls around the world face barriers to pursuing their education and dreams. Investing in adolescent girls positively impacts their families, communities, and countries. The Centre for Social Impact will have contributed over $5 million USD since 2021 to advancing the program’s work globally.

For more information on FURTHER, the lululemon Ambassadors taking on this feat, and to track the athletes' distances throughout the ultramarathon, visit https://www.lululemon.com/further.

About lululemon
lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) is a technical athletic apparel, footwear and accessories company for yoga, running, training, and most other activities, creating transformational products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all. Setting the bar in innovation of fabrics and functional designs, lululemon works with yogis and athletes in local communities around the world for continuous research and product feedback. For more information, visit lululemon.com.

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About Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
Offering world-class Olympic and Paralympic training environments in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (www.csipacific.ca) is committed to Powering Performance. Inspiring Excellence. Working with national sport organizations and fueled by our national and provincial partners such as Sport Canada, viaSport, Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Coaches Association of Canada, we are driven by our mantra to Collaborate. Serve. Innovate. Perform. Our team of sport science, sport medicine, coaching & life services experts provide leading-edge programs and services to athletes and coaches to ensure they have every advantage to win medals for Canada. Learn more: www.csipacific.ca

Contacts

Sebastian Masmela
Global PR Manager
lululemon
smasmela@lululemon.com

or

Edelman
lululemon@edelman.com

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