Hundreds gathered this weekend in Sayville, Long Island, to take on the grueling Murph Challenge — a Memorial Day tradition honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy.
The event, held at the Michael Murphy Navy SEAL Museum, marked 20 years since Operation Red Wings, the 2005 mission where Murphy, a native of Long Island, was killed in action while leading a four-man SEAL team in Afghanistan.
This year’s event featured SEAL and Murphy’s roommate, Kaj Larsen, who says the workout is about more than physical grit — it’s about legacy and sacrifice.
“It’s pretty amazing that two decades later, he is memorialized across the country by tens of thousands of people who honor his sacrifice with their own grueling physical challenge,” said Larsen, head of Military Investing and Communications at Siebert Financial. “The Murph Memorial Workout at the Michael Murphy Medal of Honor Museum is a pretty special event.”
During the event, participants completed a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and finished with another mile, while wearing a 20-pound vest in Murphy’s honor.
This year’s challenge was sponsored by Siebert Valor, an initiative of Siebert Financial dedicated to supporting military and veteran communities. Proceeds support the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.