TUCSON, Ariz. — Memorial Day is more than a three-day weekend or a day to get a great discount on a mattress.
On Monday morning, communities across the country are spending the day honoring those who lost their lives in the military. One way is through a CrossFit challenge called “The Murph.”
The workout—named after Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy—has become a Memorial Day tradition to raise money for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Scholarship Foundation, founded in 2014 by Murphy’s family.
The workout is the foundation’s top fundraiser. A grueling combination, often done with a 20-pound weighted vest.
- One mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 squats
- One mile run
While participants can split their sets up however they want, the workout ends and begins with a mile run.
F45 Coach Marc Miller says it’s supposed to hurt a little bit.
“It’s a simple workout, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” Miller said. “So, the point is to get out of our comfort zone, experience a little discomfort for an hour or two—however long it takes you to complete it—but the sacrifice of those who didn’t make it home is far greater than the discomfort we’re experiencing on the Murph.”
Miller and many of the other coaches and participants are former military personnel, so this holiday holds a special meaning for them.
Pima County has a higher rate of veteran residents than the national average, so nearly everyone who came out to do the Memorial Day Murph Challenge had a personal story to accompany their workout.
The annual challenge has raised over two million dollars for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Scholarship Foundation, which gives out over 40 scholarships to high schools and universities across the country. Many of those scholarships are also named after late Navy Seals.
