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The Murph Challenge: Honoring Fallen Heroes of Our Nation

Army soldiers running challenge

The Murph Challenge: Honoring Our Nation’s Fallen Heroes

Since 2005, only twenty-three U.S. military service members have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, America’s highest military award for valor in combat above and beyond the call of duty. The Murph Challenge, named in honor of U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, has raised over $2 million since its inception in 2014. These funds have been used to build military training centers and to provide college scholarships for veterans and their families.

The Murph Challenge is a self-guided workout generally done on or close to Memorial Day, the day on which we honor all of America’s fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Airmen. In recent years, it’s become one of the most popular workout challenges among fitness enthusiasts and those who wish to honor the shared legacy of American military heroes.

Who Was Lt. Michael P. Murphy?

Most of the stories about Lt. Michael Murphy revolve around the last moments of his life. Although his final act did define his legacy to a large extent, we should also remember and honor his entire person. In Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, USN, author Gary Williams writes that, even in middle school, Michael went out of his way to help and protect others who struggled to protect themselves. On one occasion in eighth grade, he intervened when he saw a group of bullies harassing a special needs student, managing to drive the bullies away without serious injury to anyone involved.

After graduating from college with a dual major in psychology and political science, Michael applied to several law schools and was accepted to at least one of them. Clearly, he believed strongly in justice and wanted to uphold it throughout his life in some form. However, he ultimately decided on the military instead of law school, where he rapidly progressed through SEAL training and graduated in 2002. Later, he served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

In June 2005, Lt. Murphy was leading a four-man SEAL team in pursuit of a Taliban leader in Afghanistan during a mission named Operation Red Wings. Taliban-sympathizing civilians reported the presence of Murphy’s team to nearby insurgents, and a fierce gun battle ensued. Murphy’s team was severely outnumbered and outgunned, and the surrounding rock formations blocked radio signals, making it impossible to call for backup.

Seeing no other choice, Lt. Murphy voluntarily left the relative safety of the foothills to get a clear signal, knowing that this would likely cost his life. He was able to radio for backup but was severely wounded. He managed to return to his team and fight on for a while but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions, which enabled one of his squadmates to escape.

Today, the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation is one of the most successful and well-known organizations dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for veterans and their families. As Lt. Murphy wisely (and often) said: “Education will set you free.”

What Is the Murph Challenge?

The Murph Challenge was one of Lt. Murphy’s favorite workouts. The grueling regimen was named in his honor after his death. It consists of:

  • A 1-mile run
  • 100 pull-ups (in separate sessions, if necessary)
  • 200 push-ups (in separate sessions, if necessary)
  • 300 squats (in separate sessions, if necessary)
  • Another 1-mile run
  • Do all of the above in a 20-pound weight vest or plate carrier (optional but encouraged if it’s within your ability)

Many (if not most) people who participate in the Murph Challenge do so for at least one of three reasons:

  • To honor Lt. Murphy’s heroic actions and his memory
  • To achieve an exceptionally high level of physical fitness
  • To raise money for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation

Participants are encouraged to complete the challenge on Memorial Day or sometime during Memorial Day weekend if possible. However, completing the challenge on a different day is totally fine. The challenge began as an official CrossFit “Hero” workout but rapidly became more well-known and generalized. Today, it’s popular in many communities and within many exercise philosophies.

The Murph Challenge is an intense, difficult, and potentially dangerous workout that shouldn’t be undertaken without adequate preparation. A generally high level of physical fitness is an absolute must, as are specific forms of training. Many participants follow a 6-week training regimen recommended by the Foundation in order to ensure that they’re ready to attempt the Murph. Whether you follow the official training plan or devise your own, the challenge should be taken seriously, both in terms of its purpose as a memorial fundraiser and in terms of its difficulty.

What the Murph Challenge Means to Us

Military force is one of the most important means by which we defend such American ideals as political freedom, independence, and justice for all. Ideally, our military is the last line of defense; everyone to whom American values are important should promote and protect those values in everyday life.

When American values do require defense by the military, our service members often endure physical and mental hardship on a scale seen in few other spheres of life. The Murph Challenge and similar workouts, grueling as they can be, are nonetheless pale imitations of life in a combat zone, but that doesn’t mean that they have no symbolic value. On both individual and community levels, the Murph Challenge is a meaningful tribute to our armed forces.

Just as serving in combat requires discipline, courage, and physical and mental toughness, so too does the Murph Challenge, if to a lesser extent. As Thomas Paine wrote in The American Crisis (1776–1783): “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Pushing ourselves to complete the challenge is one way that we can remind ourselves that freedom is hard-won and must be guarded with constant vigilance.

Gear Up for the Murph Challenge

Are you thinking about tackling the Murph Challenge? Here are our top picks for training and workout gear.

Plate Carriers and Weighted Vests

Footwear

Apparel

Watches and Fitness Trackers

Why We Murph 

Lt. Murphy is one of approximately one million American soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Airmen who have given their lives in the course of military service. It is only fitting that thousands of people nationwide join together to participate in the Murph Challenge on or close to Memorial Day, the day on which we remember all those who paid the ultimate price in defense of freedom.