About Murph
Murph is named after U.S. Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. It was one of his favorite workouts.
Benchmark WOD · Hero WOD
MURPH WOD
A 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another mile, ideally in a weight vest. The best-known Hero WOD, done by many gyms every Memorial Day.
The workout
- For time:
- 1 mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1 mile run
Rx: wear a 9 / 6 kg (20 / 14 lb) vest. 1 mile is about 1.6 km. The pull-ups, push-ups and squats can be partitioned any way you like.
What is a good Murph time?
| Level | Time (with vest) |
|---|---|
| Elite | under 40:00 |
| Advanced | 40:00–50:00 |
| Intermediate | 50:00–65:00 |
| Beginner | 65:00+ (often scaled) |
Rough community ranges at Rx, not official standards. Your own last attempt is the number that matters most.
How to scale Murph
Scale so you finish with good movement and roughly the intended stimulus, not so you survive at Rx.
- Half Murph: 800 m runs and 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats.
- No vest: perfectly fine, just log it as “no vest” so you compare fairly next year.
- Movements: ring rows or banded pull-ups, and push-ups on a box or bench.
Murph strategy and tips
Most people partition the middle part. The classic split is 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats, which is simply 20 rounds of Cindy. If push-ups are your weak spot, try 5-5-15-5 per round instead, splitting the push-ups in two.
Pace the first mile. It is tempting to run it fast, but the second mile comes when your legs are already gone and that is where Murph is won or lost.
Log Murph in FreeWOD
Log your total time, whether you wore a vest and how you partitioned the middle. Those three details decide whether two Murph times are actually comparable.