Murph workout 1-mile, 100 pull-ups

Communities and gyms across the United States marked Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 23, with “Murph” workouts honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, according to local organizers and the official Murph Challenge. The workout has become a fixture of Memorial Day programming at CrossFit gyms and community events, with participants completing a long sequence of running and bodyweight movements for time. CrossFit says thousands of gyms program Murph each year on Memorial Day to honor Murphy and other service members. Local coverage from Illinois to Georgia showed the event being staged as both a fitness test and a remembrance ritual. ### What exactly do people mean when they say “Murph”? CrossFit defines Murph as a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and a final 1-mile run. The workout was introduced as a CrossFit Hero workout on Aug. 18, 2005, according to CrossFit’s Murph page. CrossFit says the event is now observed by a broader global community of athletes in addition to its gym network. (themurphchallenge.com) WODwell, a workout database widely used by CrossFit athletes, lists the same structure and says the middle movements can be partitioned as needed. That means athletes often break the pull-ups, push-ups and squats into rounds rather than completing each movement straight through. ### Who was Lt. Michael P. Murphy? Lt. Michael P. Murphy was a Navy SEAL whose name is attached to the workout, according to CrossFit and local Memorial Day coverage. (crossfit.com) CrossFit New Hampshire said Murphy, 29, was from Patchogue, New York, and was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Fox local coverage said Murphy was later awarded the Medal of Honor. (wodwell.com) CrossFit says Murph was one of Murphy’s favorite workouts and notes that the session was originally known as “Body Armor.” That detail also appears in gym programming pages that posted the workout for Memorial Day weekend 2026. ### Why are some athletes wearing weighted vests? Some gyms and workout guides advised athletes to wear a 20-pound vest or body armor where appropriate. (crossfitnewhampshire.com) Fox local coverage described the weighted version as part of the tradition, while WODwell lists a prescribed vest at 20 pounds for men and 14 pounds for women. CrossFit-style gym posts for the 2026 holiday weekend also framed the vest as optional rather than mandatory. (crossfit.com) CrossFit Mt. Juliet and other gym guides presented scaling options for athletes who wanted to modify the volume or skip the added load. ### How was the workout being used in local communities this year? Peoria, Illinois, hosted a fourth annual Murph Challenge on May 23 at The House Barbell Club, local outlet WMBD reported. (foxla.com) The event was organized by The Resilience Project, and WMBD said dozens of participants took part while supporting local veterans. (stridefitness.com) WMBD reported that organizers described the event as a chance to “suffer together in remembrance.” That language matched a broader pattern in local and gym coverage, where coaches emphasized scaling, preparation and participation over finishing times. ### Where are participants being directed next? The Murph Challenge website says its 2026 event is the official annual fundraiser of the LT. (centralillinoisproud.com) Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation and invites participants to register, post times and view the worldwide leaderboard. CrossFit’s Murph page separately directs athletes to its workout page for the standard format and background on the annual Memorial Day tradition. (themurphchallenge.com)