It’s 7am on a Saturday morning, and I’m stood unnervingly close to the front of the first corral on the start line of the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon in Vancouver, Canada. The vibe feels more like a party than the beginning of a race – with heavy-bass tunes echoing around the streets – but I can’t help but focus on the race in front of me. Just 13.1 miles stand between me and my goal to go under 1:30.

It’s been two weeks since I ran my first ultramarathon in the highlands of Iceland, so I’ve certainly got enough time on legs in the bank to get this race done. Today is all about seeing how big an impact the little things can have, from new kit (in the form of Lululemon’s tech-first running range) and mindset tips (from seasoned ultramarathon runner and Lululemon ambassador Dennis Roloff), to a course renowned for its incredible support and atmosphere.

Setting Off Strong

Going into the race, my aim was to settle into a comfortable rhythm but not let the 1:30 pace group out of my sight. So at the start of the race I hang back, enjoying the calm around me without jostling for a spot next to the pacer. With two long, steep inclines to contend with in the first half of the race, it’s a smart play – rather than trying to maintain an even speed throughout, I allow myself to slow down and not let my heart rate spike too high. I’m confident I’ll be able to make the distance back up later on.

Reaching the halfway mark, though, I notice the pace of the group dropping scarily close to exactly 1:30 – it’s perfect pacing, but giving me far too much anxiety that things will get too close for comfort come the end. In that moment, I decide to go it alone to give myself a bit more wiggle room. It helps that the pieces of kit I’m wearing – the Lululemon Fast and Free singlet and running shorts – are proving seriously comfortable. They not only allow me to move freely, but keep me comfortable as I pick up the pace and warm up. The singlet feels light and mobile on my torso, while the shorts are supportive yet unrestrictive at the same time. And the discreet side pockets are also the perfect spot to keep my gels.

I spent the previous day at the Lululemon headquarters hearing all about how they design their kit, but there’s nothing like experiencing it firsthand to really notice the difference.

As Chantelle Murnaghan, VP Research and Product Innovation, told me, for Lululemon, it’s important to place the person at the heart of the product.

‘We’re pushing the boundaries of technology, but we don’t take a technology-first perspective. We take a human-first perspective,’ Murnaghan explained.

As well as listening to feedback from Lululemon athletes and customers alike, the team responsible for designing the kit also observes how the kit performs in real time to make adjustments that may go unnoticed by the consumer, but make a marginal difference.

And the proof is in the products. From Unrestricted Power, a fabric line engineered to provide stretch and support without feeling compressive, to Showzero, which uses innovative yarn technology to conceal the visibility of sweat while wicking moisture away from the skin, it’s clear each piece of Lululemon kit is designed to make a difference.

Soaking Up the Vibes

Whenever things got tough during the race, you could always count on the crowd to lift you up. SeaWheeze is like no other half-marathon: along the course I came across everything from a Peloton spin class cheering on the top of a motorway and paddleboarders offering their support out on the water, to mermaids lying on rocks to spur people on.

It’s a truly unique experience in which Vancouver champions every runner on the course, and the atmosphere is sky-high throughout. It certainly spurs me on as things get tough, although I have to try not to get too excited and let my heart rate jump too early in the race.

Embracing the Challenge

I’m also inspired by the exploits of Lululemon ambassador and ultramarathon runner Dennis Roloff, who I chat with on the eve of the race. After falling into running as a way to scratch a competitive itch he once had while playing American football in his early adult years, the German athlete quickly took up ultras.

He’s found solitude in the multiple-hour events he’s completed over the years, spending just as much time working on his mental strength as his physical ability.

‘It’s a 50/50 thing. You have to be prepared mentally for multiple-day race to survive them,’ he explained. ‘Your body needs to be in shape, but so does your mind. I’m working on those things daily.’

His approach rubs off on me 10 miles into the half-marathon, when the pain has really started to set in and it feels like there’s still a long way left to run. While I haven’t paid as much attention to working on my mind as I have my body, I had promised myself to remain positive if things ever became tough in the race. In that moment, I’m running along the northernmost point of the sea wall. I know I’ve got a little over 21 minutes remaining – all things going well – but lactic acid is building in my quads and I’m increasingly checking my shoulder, hoping the gap to the 1:30 pacer behind hasn’t dwindled further. It became a game of mind over matter – but the former won.

Crossing the Finish

It may have been a slog to get to the finish line, but I finally make it across in 1:29:29.

I feel further vindicated in my decision to go solo after hearing the pacer crossed the finish line in 1:29:57, unconvinced I’d have been capable of producing the sprint finish necessary.

But, despite my PB, I realise that missing out on that elusive time I had built up in my head wouldn’t have made much of a difference to how much fun I had out on the course.

My main takeaway is how the small details can have such a profound effect during a race: the unique cheer stations, challenging yet rewarding route, and feeling confident in what you’re wearing can all have such an important role to play in the overall experience.

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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_