Hero WOD
Murph
A mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another mile — for time, in a weighted vest if you have one. It is the best-known hero workout there is, and most people finish it somewhere between forty minutes and an hour and a quarter.
Opens a 60-minute clock with the movements listed. Your score is the time on it when you finish the second mile. No account needed.
- Run
- 1 mile (1.6 km)
- Then
- 100 pull-ups · 200 push-ups · 300 air squats
- Run
- 1 mile (1.6 km)
- Vest
- 20 lb (9 kg) for Rx; many women use 14 lb (6 kg)
- Score
- Total time
Where it comes from
Murph is named after Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a SEAL killed in Afghanistan on 28 June 2005 and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. It was one of his regular workouts — he called it “Body Armor” — and CrossFit published it as a hero WOD in his memory. In the United States many gyms run it on Memorial Day, which is why that week is when most people look it up.
Partitioning the middle
The rules let you split the pull-ups, push-ups and squats however you like, as long as both miles are run whole. Almost nobody does 100 pull-ups straight; the only question is how to divide them.
| Partition | Rounds | Why people choose it |
|---|---|---|
| 5 / 10 / 15 | 20 rounds | The standard — twenty rounds of Cindy. Small sets keep push-ups from failing early |
| 10 / 20 / 30 | 10 rounds | Fewer transitions; harder on the push-ups in the back half |
| Straight through | One of each | The original, and the slowest for almost everyone |
Whichever you choose, choose it before you start. The first mile is long enough to talk yourself into a new plan, and changing plans mid-workout usually means doing the hardest version by accident.
What a good time looks like
| Level | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First attempt, scaled | 60–80 min | Ring rows, knee push-ups or a half Murph are all normal |
| Regular trainee, no vest | 45–60 min | Push-ups are usually what slows the middle |
| Strong athlete, with vest | 40–50 min | The second mile decides the time |
| Elite, with vest | Under 40 min | Rare — do not measure yourself against it |
These are rough ranges from what athletes commonly report, not standards. The only comparison that means anything is against your own last Murph.
Scaling it honestly
Half Murph — half-mile runs, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats — is a complete workout, not a lesser one. Swap pull-ups for ring rows or banded pull-ups, push-ups for elevated or knee push-ups, and leave the vest off until the unweighted version is comfortably under an hour. Heat and dehydration are the real risk: drink beforehand, and do not wear the vest for the first time on a hot day.
Why the clock should speak
Murph is long enough that you stop checking the time, and hard enough on your breathing that reading a screen between sets is a chore. LuxFit counts the final seconds out loud over your music, keeps the screen awake, and opens straight into the clock from this page, with no account.
Common questions
What is the Murph workout?
For time: a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, then another 1-mile run. The Rx version is done in a 20 lb (9 kg) vest or body armor, and the middle can be partitioned any way you like.
How long does Murph take?
Most people finish between 45 and 75 minutes. Under 40 minutes with a vest is an elite result; over an hour is completely normal for a first attempt.
Do I have to wear the vest?
Only for the Rx score. Do it without the vest until you can finish in under an hour, and log the two versions separately — they are different workouts.
Can I split up the pull-ups, push-ups and squats?
Yes. Partitioning is part of the official description. The most common split is 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats. The runs are always done whole, first and last.
Who was Murph?
Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a US Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. This was one of his favourite workouts.