One year ago, Vriko Kwok could barely run 1km continuously. Today, the entrepreneur and Brazilian jiu jitsu athlete from Hong Kong proves that humans are born with limitless potential. Last month, just a couple of days before International Women’s Day, she embarked on her first ultra-marathon called FURTHER, a unique six-day running event by lululemon, where the goal was simple: Go as far as possible. And she did, clocking about 50km each day—equivalent to running six consecutive full marathons— achieving a total distance of 303.3km.
Together with nine other female lululemon global ambassadors, Kwok pounded the looped course around Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, California, pushing her body to redefine the limits of human endurance. By day six, the ladies had run a combined total of 4,636km, battling cold night winds, blazing afternoon heat, and dozens of blisters.
The sacrifice was worth it. Not only did all of them reach their personal goals, some toppled world records. Ultrarunner Camille Heron, for example, broke 13 world records. At 901.764km, she now holds the Women’s Six-Day World Record, surpassing the previous record by over 352km.
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The journey to the start line took one year of rigorous training for these women, supported by an army of sports scientists, researchers and product designers. To prepare her for the run of a lifetime, Kwok worked closely with teammate Stefanie Flippin, to devise a running plan that would gradually build up her endurance. “Rather than pump up the heart rate and clock mileage, we approached this in a conservative way. In my first month of training, I ran six days a week, clocking about 15km a week, and worked up to 55km a month,” shares Kwok. “A big part of the plan was not to go too fast, add in walk breaks, don’t get injured, and don’t get mental fatigue.”
Signing up for runs like the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon also helped Kwok boost her confidence. By year end, her training amassed a total mileage of 2,700km worth of runs, with plenty of physiotherapy, nutritional advice, and emotional support from her loved ones. “I really enjoyed the experience of being able to run further with this group, and show people what women are capable of when they are supported,” she says.
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“A year ago, I didn’t see myself as a runner. Up until that point, the furthest I’d gone was 5km for a running event. And now, I’m an ultrarunner! I really hope that my journey can be an invitation to everyone, especially those who don’t see themselves as runners, to know that regardless of shape, size or pace, we all have it in us to go further, or at least your own version of further. It is one of the hardest things I’ve ever taken on, but I also tell myself if my dream doesn’t scare me, it’s not big enough.”
UNDERSTANDING WOMEN
The nights were long, the days were hot, and no matter their fitness levels or field experience, everyone endured various forms of discomfort and pain over the course of the ultra-marathon. Kwok was close to giving up on day four. Herron shared on Instagram that she suffered a UTI (urinary tract infection) and loose bowels from running 220 rounds around the lake.
The only thing that kept these women going was each other, proving that it is possible to push the body further when you’re supported. And there was plenty of support to go around. Each participant was allowed to bring a crew of seven people to rally them to the finish line. Husbands, boyfriends, sisters, mothers, and even pets, were all there to cheer these women on. On top of that, they had the backing of a fully-operational athlete’s village, complete with comfy RV (recreational vehicle) accommodation, in-house chefs, a product innovation workshop (for alterations), research and medical wing, and recovery lounge.
It was also a lululemon first to partner with the Canadian Sports Institute Pacific to conduct this audacious study that started well before race day, where the women were tested for performance markers like cardiorespiratory fitness and fat oxidation. One interesting finding that they uncovered was that after two hours of running, all 10 of the women showed almost similar VO2 max results as when they started. This suggests that women either have a higher resistance to fatigue or have a better control on energy expenditure.
At the race site itself, the research team studied the physiological and biomechanical effects of the runners, in real-time, using a combination of motion cameras, force plates and wearable gadgets. These findings will be published over the next two years, with initial findings to be released in the fall of 2024.
The lululemon initiative addresses a gap—women are still vastly under-represented in sports science and sports medicine literature. “Women have historically been overlooked and underserved in athletics. They have not had as many opportunities to compete, have not been included in scientific research, and have not had products designed to meet their unique needs. And despite all this, they continue to push boundaries and set new limits,” says Nikki Neuburger, chief brand officer for lululemon. “The disparity specifically around distance running starts to narrow the further athletes go. However, there’s a need to ratify this hypothesis. And so that is really what we are doing at this event—to really research and understand how we can unlock human performance.”
She adds, “As a brand committed to helping people feel their best, we have a responsibility to create more equity for our communities by investing to close the sex and gender data gap. When supported with innovation and resources, we are confident women will continue to redefine the limits of what’s possible.”
WOMEN-FIRST INNOVATIONS
This ultra-marathon also presented the opportunity for lululemon to create pinnacle running products that have not been seen before. Working closely with the 10 runners, the product and innovation team devised a head-to-toe ecosystem of 36 products to unlock their full potential.
“When we started to embark on this, we were focused on our innovation philosophy: Science of Feel. When you feel your best, you perform your best. 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,” shares Chantelle Murnaghan, VP of research and product innovation.
Ultimately, the goal was to build a comprehensive race kit that was versatile, cohesive, and layerable, which addressed performance-limiting factors like heat-load, muscle damage, and chafing. “We needed to make sure that the women could very easily go between environments, and that everything worked seamlessly together as one cohesive kit. We also made sure that we delivered bespoke personalised fits for each athlete,” says Murnaghan.
In a palette of shades that reflect the desert terrain of La Quinta, the lightweight, seamless designs also factored in research insights tied to improving performance and extending running duration, such as the role of compression and cooling. Think vests, UV sleeves, bandanas and tanks with hidden pockets to store ice, in high-tech fabrics that slow down melting.
The collection also introduces the Runsie, a one-piece super-suit in an ultra-lightweight construction with tons of storage and a unique back-waist design to simplify bathroom breaks. There are also paper-thin rip-away pants that snap back on quickly, and a see-through windbreaker which offers superior thermal insulation while allowing you to read your watch on-the-go. Another pain point—chafing around the chest area—is addressed with the ultra-soft Support Code Bra that is easy to put on and take off, with holes for ventilation, and an inner pocket to store water or energy gels.
“The more we learn, the more we know, the more it sends us in a different direction to look for new solutions, so as to go after new technologies, constructions and materials in a way that we haven’t before,” says Murnaghan.
While many of these innovations were purposely-made for the FURTHER Experience, several of these solutions will be adapted for retail, and rolled out gradually. They will not only be designed for running, but will suit a wide range of activities from intense workout sessions to everyday routines.
RUN IN STYLE
lululemon’s latest collection is ideal for all manner of workouts and daily wear.