Last year’s student participants in Total Fit’s Gallant challenge pose in Founder’s Gym, where the Murph Challenge will take place March 29 at 9 a.m. Courtesy | Paul Sri
Students and faculty are gearing up for a challenging fitness event that honors fallen military personnel and promotes campus-wide wellness.
The Murph Challenge, hosted by Total Fit, will take place Saturday, March 29, at 9 a.m. in the Founders Gym. The Murph will test participants with a one-mile run, followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats, before finishing with another mile run.
“The Murph is probably CrossFit’s most famous hero workout,” CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and senior Paul Sri said. “Named after Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who died in Afghanistan, this workout is commonly performed on Memorial Day to commemorate those who have died for our country.”
Combining high-rep bodyweight strength training with endurance training, the Murph mimics the style of workout Murphy was known to perform, according to Sri.
Total Fit, a branch of the college’s Ambler Health Center, represents a broader institutional push toward accessible fitness programming, according to Sri. The organization offers free personal training services to students through a team of three certified trainers, including Sri, who currently coaches two students and one staff member.
This year’s event will feature a new addition — a half-Murph option for those seeking a modified challenge. Total Fit will offer various exercise modifications to accommodate different fitness levels.
“This event is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves physically and honor the fallen,” Sri said.
Participants with specific needs can modify exercises. According to Sri, last year’s Murph included accommodations like stationary bikes for those unable to run due to injury and Total Resistance Exercise (TRX) rows to replace traditional pull-ups while working the same muscle group.
Last year’s winners, seniors Garrett Goolsby and Lucia Ruchti, set the benchmark for this year’s competitors.
For Goolsby, who completed the Murph twice in high school in addition to his win last year, the true test lies in the middle portion of the workout.
“Most people split up the exercises into 20 sets of five pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats,” Goolsby said. “The first five go by like nothing because your adrenaline is still going for the start. For the last five, the finish is in sight, you just have to hang on. Those middle 10 sets are difficult because no matter how fast you’re moving, you have to stay focused for at least 10 minutes.”
Registration remains open until March 26. Interested participants can find registration instructions on campus flyers or email jleckband@hillsdale.edu with “Murph” in the subject line.
