The military has been rucking on Memorial Day for as long as it's been called Memorial Day. Long walks under load, often in formation, often before sunrise, sometimes with the names of the fallen read aloud at the start. It's a movement-based act of remembrance - physical effort as a small, intentional sacrifice in honor of people who gave a much larger one.
Civilians have been joining for the last decade, largely because of GORUCK and its Tribute event series. The barrier to entry is low. You need a pack, some weight, and a few hours. The barrier to doing it well is just intentionality.
What a memorial ruck actually is
There's no certifying body, no official distance, no rule that you have to be at a specific event. A memorial ruck is any loaded walk done with the deliberate intent to honor someone who served and didn't come home.
The variables you control:
- Distance. Anywhere from 1 mile to 26.2. Common choices: 4 miles (a basic structured ruck), 12 miles (the standard military Army Combat Fitness Test distance), or a marathon length (26.2) if you want the meaningful pain.
- Weight. 20 to 35 pounds is typical. Some traditions put one brick (5 lb) in the pack for every specific fallen friend the rucker is carrying. Others use the same 30 lb plate they always use.
- Time. Some people start at exact sunrise. Others walk for a duration equal to a service number - e.g., 22 minutes for the 22-veterans-per-day suicide statistic. Most just walk until they're done.
- Route. Local trails, neighborhood loops, formal event courses, or a route that means something specific (a fallen friend's home town, a base, a memorial site).
- Ritual. Reading a name. Wearing a specific patch. Carrying a photo. Calling someone afterward. The ritual is what separates a memorial ruck from a Tuesday workout.
The most common formats
Solo
The simplest version. Pack up, head out, walk. Bring water. If you're new to rucking, start with 15 to 20 pounds - the physical part isn't the point, but neither is hurting yourself.
What makes it a memorial ruck and not just a walk: pick a person. Bring their name with you. Think about them while you walk. Call their family afterward if you can.
Group / Community
GORUCK Clubs in most major cities organize free Memorial Day weekend rucks. These usually involve a short pre-ruck ceremony, a moderate pace (most ruckers can finish), and a meal or coffee afterward. They're the easiest way to do this for the first time without overthinking it.
Find your nearest one through the Ruck Authority Club Directory.
GORUCK Tribute events
GORUCK runs official Tribute events on or near Memorial Day each year - typically a Light (4-6 hours, 7-10 miles) or a Heavy. They include a structured ceremony, a cadre-led ruck, and a community focused on the same intention. Sign up at goruck.com a few weeks in advance - they sell out.
Murph
Murph is the CrossFit-adjacent version: 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, 1-mile run, all wearing a 20 lb weighted vest. Named for Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan in 2005. It's brutal. Most CrossFit gyms run it as a partner workout for Memorial Day. If you want the meaningful-pain version of a memorial workout and don't want to ruck a marathon, Murph is the canonical option.
The Tough Ruck Boston model
If you want the highest-tier version, the Tough Ruck Boston does a 26.2-mile loaded march the weekend before the Boston Marathon, organized by the National Guard. It's run on the same Boston Marathon course and explicitly honors fallen military, law enforcement, and first responders. Worth knowing about even if you never do it.
How to plan one for this Monday
If you're reading this on Memorial Day weekend and you've never done one:
- Pick a distance. 3-4 miles if you've never rucked. 8-12 if you have.
- Pick a weight. 15-25 pounds. Use what you've got. A filled hydration bladder + a couple of books works fine for a one-time ruck.
- Pick a person. Someone who served and isn't here. If you don't know anyone personally, the GORUCK community sometimes shares names of recent KIA you can carry for the morning. Or pick from the Honor the Fallen project.
- Pick a time. Sunrise is traditional. Whatever fits your schedule is fine.
- Walk. Bring water, your phone, and the name. Don't rush the pace. Let the time be uncomfortable in a small way.
- Mark the moment. Take a photo. Call someone. Post about who you carried. The ritual matters more than the route.
If you're rucking with a group on Memorial Day, the unwritten etiquette is to share who you're carrying before the start. It's awkward the first time. Do it anyway. The whole point of doing this collectively is naming the names out loud.
A note on doing this respectfully
The thing that separates a memorial ruck from a Memorial Day workout is the who. If you're rucking on Monday and you don't know who you're carrying, take 10 minutes before you head out and pick someone. Find a name. Read about them. Carry them. The physical effort is the easy part - the intentionality is what makes it real.
If you can't ruck this Memorial Day
Donate to one of the foundations the community supports: the Travis Manion Foundation, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, or GORUCK Heart. Volunteer at a local Veterans event. Visit a cemetery and clean a headstone. There's no rule that says the day requires miles. It just requires attention.
Related reading
- Tough Ruck Boston: how to train for the 26.2-mile memorial march
- How to start a ruck club - for organizing a Memorial Day weekend community ruck
- The complete beginner's guide to rucking - first ruck ever? Start here.
- Military rucking program - the standard the holiday is built around
- GORUCK Challenge training - if Monday's ruck inspires you to sign up for a Tough
