The Murph Challenge

Michael “Murph” Murphy was the leader of a four-man team on a mission designated Operation Red Wing*. On June 28, 2005, the team was discovered and surrounded by Taliban forces. Murph stepped out onto a clear mountain top to make a satellite call to save his teammates. He willingly gave his life to make this call and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. This story was told in the book Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell.

Murph became a Navy SEAL in July 2002. He believed in physical fitness and loved doing a workout consisting of a one mile run, followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 body weight squats, and ending with a final one mile run. He would wear his body armor when doing this workout and hence named the workout “Body Armor.”

On August 18, 2005, crossfit.com re-named his Body Armor workout to memorialize Mike Murphy, and added it to their group of “hero” workouts. From that day forward it has been called the Murph.

TheMurphChallenge.com is the Official annual fundraiser of the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation, presented by Forged®. Since 2014, Forged® has raised over $1,000,000+ for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation through The Murph Challenge campaign.

The Murph Challenge is an event held every Memorial Day to help raise money for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. It is also known as the “Memorial Day Murph”

“Murph”

For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

The “Murph” workout is tough…by design. Murph was a Navy SEAL and regularly did this workout as part of his fitness routine. If necessary, there are several ways to scale it down. The workout has you doing the exercises with a 20-pound vest or body armor. The first scale is to do the workout without the extra weight. You can also shorten the running and/or shorten the amount of reps of the exercises.

Scale the workout however you need to. The goal is to do this workout to memorialize Mike Murphy and help contribute to his scholarship foundation.

*

Nineteen men lost their lives during Operation Red Wing. They are,

Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy

Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson

Machinist Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Eric S. Patton

Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy

Quartermaster 2nd Class (SEAL) James Suh

Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz

Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Erik S. Kristensen

Electronics Technician 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas

Lt. (SEAL) Michael M. McGreevy Jr.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor

Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare

Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature

Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby

Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles

Maj. Stephen C. Reich

Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell

Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach

Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III