4th Annual · Saturday, May 29, 2027
Memorial Day Murphat Ethos · Charleston
One mile. 100 pull-ups. 200 push-ups. 300 squats. One more mile. Twenty pound vest if you have one.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy trained this workout in body armor. On May 29, Ethos Athletic Club runs it in his name, and every entry goes toward a veteran’s PTSD recovery through WarriorWOD: six months of coached training, nutrition coaching and a Battle Buddy who has been there.
Date
Saturday, May 29, 2027
Where
Ethos Athletic Club, Charleston
Classes
7:30 and 9:00 a.m.
Entry
$35, shirt included
Why this workout
The man it is named for
Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy led a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team in the mountains of Kunar Province, Afghanistan. On June 28, 2005, during Operation Red Wings, a much larger enemy force surrounded the team. Murphy moved into the open to get a signal and called for help for his men. He was shot during the call, finished it, and kept fighting. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Murphy trained in a twenty pound vest and called this workout Body Armor. After his death the CrossFit community renamed it Murph. Every Memorial Day weekend, gyms across the country run it in his memory.
Memorial Day honors the ones who did not come home. Many who did come home still carry the war with them. At Ethos we do the work for Lt. Murphy, and the entry fees fund a veteran’s recovery. One morning honors both.
The workout
The Murph workout
Run a mile, split the pull-ups, push-ups and squats however you want, then run another mile. Rx means a twenty pound vest or plate carrier the whole way. Most people scale their first Murph. Pick the division that gets you to the finish.
1
Mile run
100
Pull-ups
200
Push-ups
300
Air squats
1
Mile run
Pick your division
Rx
The full Murph with a twenty pound vest on from the first step to the last. Partition the reps any way you like. Kipping pull-ups count.
Bring your own vest. Ethos has a limited number to borrow.
Scaled
Half the reps, no vest. Banded pull-ups or ring rows, push-ups from the knees. Run, jog or walk the miles.
Most first-timers are here. It is still a hard morning.
Partner
Split the reps however you want, one person working at a time, and run the miles together. A good way to bring someone to their first Murph.
Two people, one score. The friendliest way in.
Where the money goes
$1,500 funds one veteran’s recovery
WarriorWOD’s veteran PTSD recovery program pairs a veteran with a Battle Buddy and a Preferred Partner Gym for six months of coached training, nutrition coaching and peer accountability. Train. Heal. Reconnect.
WarriorWOD tracks every Warrior’s symptoms with the PCL-5, the VA’s standard PTSD checklist. Across 21 matched participants, scores fell an average of 14.42 points, from 43.37 before the program to 28.95 after, below the clinical threshold of 31 to 33. The College of Charleston independently verified the analysis.
Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, College of Charleston. Grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294. Peer review pending.
14.42
Point average PCL-5 reduction
p<.001 · Cohen’s d=1.33
9 of 9
Crisis veterans alive
Suicidal ideation at intake
265
Warriors completed the program
38.25% overall severity reduction
$22
A month makes you a Warrior Supporter
6 × $22 = one veteran
Race morning
How Memorial Day Murph runs at Ethos
Two classes, both capped, and Ethos has sold out every year. Pick your class time when you register.
7:30 a.m. class
The early heat. Cooler air, and you get the rest of the holiday weekend back. Check in fifteen minutes before start and grab a loaner vest early if you need one.
9:00 a.m. class
The second heat. Bring the family to watch from the side. Same brief, same shirt.
The brief
Each class starts with the story of Lt. Murphy and Operation Red Wings. Then WarriorWOD CEO and Founder Phil Palmer, a Marine combat veteran, explains which veterans your entry supports and what it pays for. A moment of silence, then the first mile.
After
Local vendors set up on site both mornings. Grab a drink, then go cheer for the people still on the floor. The last finisher worked the longest.
Partners
Sponsor the morning
Sponsors cover the cost of putting on the day, so more of every entry goes to a veteran. Your business goes on the event shirt and in front of a gym full of Charleston neighbors on Memorial Day weekend.
$1,500 puts one veteran through the full six-month program. In-kind support counts too: shirts, water, food and medical coverage. Veteran-owned businesses get first pick.
Sponsorships start at $250. Questions? Email [email protected] or message Joe Traynor at Ethos directly.
Want a table instead? Download the vendor packet.
Before you sign up
Memorial Day Murph questions
What is the Murph workout?
Murph is a CrossFit Hero WOD named for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy: a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and a second one-mile run, done in a twenty pound vest. Gyms across the country run it every Memorial Day weekend.
Do I have to be a veteran?
No. Murph at Ethos is open to everyone. Plenty of people on the floor never served, and the veterans there are glad you came.
I cannot do 100 pull-ups. Can I still come?
Yes. Almost nobody can on their first try. Scaled is a full division: half the reps, no vest, banded pull-ups or ring rows. Walk the miles if you need to.
How do I sign up?
Register on the Murph at Ethos campaign page. The $35 entry goes to WarriorWOD and includes the event shirt. Choose your class time when you register. Both classes have sold out every year.
Do I need a vest?
Only for Rx. Bring your own if you have one. Ethos keeps a limited number to borrow and they go early, so claim one at check-in.
Where do the proceeds go?
All proceeds benefit WarriorWOD Foundation, a 501(c)(3) veteran PTSD recovery nonprofit in Charleston, South Carolina, EIN 87-1065126. $1,500 funds one veteran’s complete six-month recovery: gym membership at a Preferred Partner Gym, nutrition coaching, monthly assessments and a Battle Buddy.
What day is it on?
Saturday, May 29, 2027, two days before Memorial Day on Monday, May 31.
Can my business sponsor or set up a vendor table?
Yes. Sponsorships start at $250 and vendor spaces are limited. Download the sponsor packet or the vendor packet, or email [email protected].
Can my gym run its own Murph for WarriorWOD?
Yes. If Charleston is too far, run a Murph at your own gym. We send the flier, social graphics, a member invite email and a fundraising page. You pick the date and format. Start here.
I cannot make it. Can I still help?
Give directly, join the Warrior Supporters at $22 a month, or pass the sponsor packet to a business owner you know. Six Warrior Supporters at $22 a month fund one veteran.
Stay up to date
Follow along on Instagram
Class times, sell-out warnings, shirt reveals and race-day photos post here first.
They served.
You serve them back.
You do not have to have served to be on the team. Give one Saturday morning to Lt. Murphy’s memory and a veteran’s recovery.
Not ready to sign up? Get an email when registration opens and when classes are close to full.
No one fights alone.