Murph 2026 at CrossFit Reckoning: Honoring Heroes on Memorial Day
Memorial Day at CrossFit Reckoning in Coatesville, PA looks a little different than most. The rest of the country fires up the grill — we lace up our shoes, throw on weight vests, and spend an hour reminding ourselves why the day exists in the first place.
This was Murph 2026. And it might be one of the best ones we've ever done.
Who We're Honoring
"Murph" is named after Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005, during Operation Red Wings. He was 29 years old. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that day — pinned down by enemy fire on a mountainside, he moved into the open to call for help for his team, fully exposed to enemy fire, so that his men might be saved.
Before he deployed, the workout we now know as "Murph" was one of his favorites. He called it "Body Armor." He'd do it in the gym wearing his body armor as part of his training.
We do it every Memorial Day to make sure his name — and the names of every service member who didn't come home — isn't forgotten.
The Workout
For anyone who's new to it, Murph is brutally simple on paper:
1-mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
1-mile run
— all wearing a 20 lb (men) or 14 lb (women) weight vest if you're doing it Rx.
The pull-ups, push-ups, and squats can be broken up however you want. Most people partition them into rounds — 20 of those classic "Cindy" rounds (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats) is the most common way.
It's a long, ugly, honest workout. And that's exactly the point.
What May 25, 2026 Looked Like at Reckoning
The weather did its best to convince us to stay home. Rain. Fog. A gray sky that wouldn't quit. Nobody cared.
We had one of the biggest turnouts we've ever had — members, their families, friends visiting from out of town, and a few first-timers who showed up to give it a shot. Some scaled. Some went Rx with vests. Some partnered up. Everyone moved.
That picture above? That's what this gym is. That's the whole thing in one frame. Somebody pushing through a hard moment, two other people meeting them there to say we see you, keep going.
Why We Keep Doing It
Murph isn't about the time on the whiteboard. Plenty of our members beat their PR times this year. Plenty of others took twice as long as they hoped. None of it matters.
The point of the workout is discomfort with purpose. For one morning a year, we choose to do something hard on purpose — because the people we're honoring didn't get the option to quit. They didn't get to stop when the suck got real. The least we can do is show up, do the work, and remember.
If you've never done Murph, put it on your calendar for next year. You don't need to be in CrossFit shape. You don't need to do it Rx. You just need to be willing to start.
Thank You
To everyone who showed up Monday — members, partners, kids, parents, dogs, the cheering squads at the turnaround — thank you. To Lt. Michael Murphy and to every man and woman who gave everything so we could keep grinding through ours: we remember you. Today, and every day.
Want to Be Part of It Next Year?
If watching Murph from the outside has ever made you curious — and especially if you've ever caught yourself thinking "I could never do that" — that's exactly the kind of person we'd love to meet. We have a year to get you ready.
Book a free no-sweat intro and come see what we're about. Coffee, conversation, zero pressure. We'll show you the gym, hear about your goals, and figure out if we're the right fit. No commitment to anything.