The six-day FURTHER ultramarathon is expected to include 10 women from the lululemon global ambassador collective, including five new Ambassadors: Camille Herron, Devon Yanko, Leah Yingling, Stefanie Flippin, and Montana Farrah-Seaton.
Each will run the furthest distance of their careers with the opportunity to set world records. The feat will take place on a certified looped course with the location to be announced.
FURTHER 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.
“Women are historically underserved when it comes to opportunities to compete, research devoted to the pursuit of their goals, and product innovations built with them in mind, yet they continue to push the boundaries of human possibility in sport regardless of the inequities they face,” said Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon.
“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. With FURTHER, we aim to inspire belief in what is possible for women when they’re supported with resources typically reserved for men.”
Research into Unmet Needs
In partnership with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and the brand’s research network, lululemon plans to conduct a series of research studies to better understand female endurance performance and human endurance performance in general.
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 only1.
This new body of research is intended to address the limited knowledge around female athletes while bringing awareness to the need for additional research.
Trent Stellingwerff, Senior Advisor, Innovation & Research, Canadian Sports Institute Pacific, said, “Women are continuously setting new ultramarathon records, with the difference between male and female performance appearing to get smaller the further humans run. However, there is limited research in this space which creates a biased understanding of human endurance as women are heavily under-represented in sports science and in medical research at large.”
“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,” said Chantelle Murnaghan, Vice President, Research and Product Innovation, lululemon.
Each lululemon Ambassador 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 journey and during the ultramarathon event. Findings will be published beginning March 2024.
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 the brand’s history and expertise in designing for women. The 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
- Yoon Young Kang (Age: 43): Ultrarunner, Judo Black Belt, Joy Seeker
Camille Herron said: “Women are continuing to redefine what’s possible. It’s important we have the platform and opportunities to showcase what we’re capable of. FURTHER represents this to me. I’m honoured to join this phenomenal group of athletes, elevate women’s running, and celebrate our human potential.”
To learn more about FURTHER click here.
