Jake Murray is a wedding photographer from Denver, Colorado. He is known for his crazy antics on the course. Murray is a fan-favorite on the course.
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 7[]
Jake first appeared in American Ninja Warrior 7 in Kansas City. His qualifying run was cut, but he completed the course with the 5th fastest time out of 38 finishers. In the city finals, he failed the Body Prop, placing 10th overall.
In Las Vegas, Jake completed Stage One with the second fastest time right behind Brent Steffensen and celebrated by doing a cannonball into the water. He later fell on the Double Salmon Ladder in Stage Two in an all-cut performance.
American Ninja Warrior 8[]
Jake returned in American Ninja Warrior 8, now as a fan favorite. He placed 2nd in both the qualifying and finals course in Indianapolis, completing both courses.
Jake Murray at the Indianapolis Finals - American Ninja Warrior 2016
On Stage One, he puzzled many people by wearing a fanny pack during his run. After he completed the course with the fastest time, he took out a pair of goggles, preparing for another dive into the water. Before he cannonballed into the water, he pulled out a corn dog, took a bite out of it, and threw it behind him. This was arguably one of the most memorable moments of the season.
In Stage Two, Murray got revenge on the brand-new (and arguably more difficult) Down Up Salmon Ladder. He then went on to clear the next two obstacles, ultimately failing the Double Wedge when his grip strength gave out on the transition to the second bar.
USA vs. the World 3[]
After a superb showing from American Ninja Warrior 8, he was granted a spot on Team USA in American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 3. Jake was the final runner of the second heat where he had no problems with the course once again and was able to beat Owen McKenzie's time to the buzzer, getting the fastest time out of everyone to do so from the competition and improved upon his time from the regular season by almost 30 seconds, although Jake didn't compete after this run but Team USA would later go and win the competition.
All Stars Special 2[]
Jake competed in the Striding Steps challenge during the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 2 where he was eliminated after the first round ending his run for the winner of the competition early.
American Ninja Warrior 9[]
Jake Murray at the National Finals- Stage 1 - American Ninja Warrior 2016
Jake returned for American Ninja Warrior 9 in Denver and had a fun entrance- he rode a segway to the starting line and kicked his helmet out of the way. Although he was partying at the start, his celebration was cut short when he was shockingly eliminated on the third obstacle, the Bouncing Spider. He didn’t make it to the Top 30 for the first time and he failed to make it Las Vegas.
All Stars Special 3[]
Jake once again competed in the Striding Steps challenge once again in the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 3 where in the first round, he enacted his revenge and was able to get the second fastest time and advance to the final round along with his buddy, Grant McCartney. In the final round, Jake was the first runner where he was once again able to beat the steps so when Grant failed, Jake was able to get the medal. Ironically, Jake and Grant were the only ones who didn't make it to the National Finals that season.
American Ninja Warrior 10[]
Jake Murray at the Minneapolis City Qualifiers - American Ninja Warrior 2018
After a disappointing exit last season, Jake cut his hair for American Ninja Warrior 10 and competed for redemption in Minneapolis. In qualifying, he moved through the obstacles at a steadier pace. Despite struggling on Battering Ram and failing his attempt at the Mega Wall, he still cleared the course with the 5th fastest time. In the city finals, he was the first competitor to complete the Iron Maiden. Despite struggling on the Spider Trap, he finished the city finals course for the second time in his career, placing 3rd overall.
In Vegas, Jake had a fun entrance as Grant McCartney pretended to be his "shoe caddy" at the starting line, with Jake trying on different shoes proffered by McCartney. Jake then cleared Stage One with the fastest time once again, beating Drew Drechsel's time by just 0.20 seconds. Afterwards, he once again jumped into the water like he did in ANW 7 and 8. However on Stage Two, he shockingly failed the first obstacle, Epic Catch and Release. He struggled severely trying to lock the first pipe in place, and he lost his grip when he jerked the second pipe out of place.
All Stars Special 4[]
Jake was chosen for the team competition in American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 4 this time around. He competed on the middle obstacles where Jake had trouble on Tire Run but was able to make up time helping his team finish the course in just over a minute twenty, a time only beaten by Team Matt. On Stage Two, thanks to Grant McCartney and Meagan Martin they were able to move on to Stage Three. On Stage Three, Jake soared through the middle obstacles once again and was able to help his team beat the course in just under five minutes but Team Matt was able to do it just seven seconds faster earning Team Matt their first win in this competition. Jake competed in the new Striding Steps heats with the side-by-side racing where in the first round, he raced against Allyssa Beird where he was able to beat her but in the championship race in the semifinals, he lost to Thomas Stillings, ending it early. Jake was shown supporting his friends during the Big Dipper Freestyle competition and was even impersonated by Sean Bryan by doing his antics.
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
Jake returned in the Tacoma qualifying course of American Ninja Warrior 11. In the qualifying round, Grant McCartney wheeled him out in a straitjacket, and Jake broke free, in a homage to Hannibal Lecter. He managed to clear the course with the 3rd fastest time.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned for him in the city finals. In a surprising turn of events, he was quickly eliminated by the Lightning Bolts. This became the second time he failed to move on to Vegas, as he ended up placing 16th at the end of the round.
Though he did not qualify for Vegas, he was a tester for Stage One of the national finals and Stage Four as well. He demonstrated the new second obstacle, Spin Your Wheels during the first episode of the Las Vegas finals which he was able to get through and was shown in Stage Two promos as well as during the Season Finale promo on the Rope Climb, wearing a red shirt and bandanna, even though some people thought it was Ethan Swanson.
All Stars Special 5[]
Jake was once again chosen by Akbar to compete in the team competition of American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 5 where he was once again chosen to attempt the middle three obstacles but they were finished early after Allyssa Beird failed the Diving Boards. On Stage Two, he attempted the first two obstacles and was able to get a fast pace going for his team, advancing them to Stage Three once again and giving them what would be one of the fastest time of the seasons. On Stage Three, Jake was able to get through the middle two obstacles once again but Allyssa failed Cane Lane which wasn't enough to stop Team Matt for getting their second straight win in the team competition.
American Ninja Warrior 12[]
Jake was invited to compete in American Ninja Warrior 12, bringing along Barry Goers and Glenn Albright. Jake was able to finish the qualifying course in 54.50 seconds, the fastest anyone has cleared a qualifying course since Season 6, and the fastest clear all season. He went on to beat Ethan Swanson on the Power Tower, which allowed his teammates to advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Jake moved quickly on the first part of the course. While he once again struggled on the Spider Trap, he cleared with the fastest time by one second.
In the finals, Jake once again finished with the fastest time, giving him the top seed in the Power Tower playoffs. In a large upset, Jake lost the first round to rookie Amir Malik, the #8 seed, ending Jake's season.
American Ninja Warrior 13[]
Jake returned for the fourth round of qualifiers in American Ninja Warrior 13. He once again flew across all six obstacles with a time of 1:36.83. He earned the fastest time in not only his qualifying round, but across all five rounds.
Jake then returned for the final round of the semifinals. He once again flew across the course, completing the Crazy Clocks, which knocked out his roommate Ethan Swanson. On Split Decision, Jake went with the Diving Boards, which only a few ninjas had cleared. He then floated up the Spider Trap to get the fastest time of the night. He then went up against his friend Austin Gray on the Power Tower. They were even throughout most of the run until the Dropping Shelves portion, where Jake attempted to reach for the shelves instead of lacheing. This proved to be the wrong move, as Jake fell to the mats below and lost the race to Gray.
Jake then returned to take on Stage One of the National Finals. Jake was moving at a blazing pace, trying to beat the fastest time of the night, set minutes before by Kyle Soderman. Despite nearly falling on the Dipping Birds, Jake recovered and barely grabbed the ring on The High Road, clearing with 1:14:38 on the clock. Jake broke the record for the fastest time on Stage One in the regular season, which was held by Drew Drechsel with a time of 1:01.29 in American Ninja Warrior 9.
Jake returned to compete in the final episode of Season 13. He flew across the first five obstacles of Stage Two. He once again faced the Falling Shelves, an obstacle he previously faced in the American Ninja Warrior 12 Finals. Like many others that day, he missed the blind grab. He got both of his hands on the ledges, but he flew in with too much momentum, meaning that he was unable to absorb the drop and that his hands peeled off. Jake was devastated, especially considering the fact that he came inches away from the finish line and would have cleared with the fastest time out of everyone had he not fell. On a more positive note, this served as his best season to date.
Jake revealed that he is reevaluating whether or not he would continue competing, or retire from the sport. As of 2025, this is the last season he has competed.
All Star Spectacular[]
Jake competed against his training partner, Kaden Lebsack in the first ever Spring Forward Tag where Jake fell from the bar which gave the Kaden the win, marking the first time he was eliminated in the qualifying for a all star event since American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 2.
Jake did not return for American Ninja Warrior 14 not because he didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine, but because he was taking a break to see if he really did want to continue competing and it is currently unknown if he retired from the show.
Other Appearances[]
Team Ninja Warrior[]
Jake Murray was part of Party Time, led by Brian Arnold. In the first season of Team Ninja Warrior, Murray injured his left knee on the Ring Toss against the InvincAbels, and had to be replaced by Travis Weinand. By the end of the competition however, Party Time was crowned as the champions of the competition.
Shockingly enough, his team was eliminated early in qualifying in Team Ninja Warrior 2 when they lost against the NorCal Ninjas and then later the Golden Hearts in the knockout round in qualifying.
Party Time later got redemption in American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja where the team made it all the way to the finals. They were eventually eliminated by Labreckfast Club, the team that ultimately reigned champion in the competition.
Becoming the Ultimate Ninja[]
Jake is featured in the docuseries Becoming the Ultimate Ninja.
Trivia[]
- Jake Murray has gotten the fastest time on Stage One three times, more than any other competitor in ANW history, doing so in American Ninja Warrior 8, American Ninja Warrior 10, and American Ninja Warrior 13.
- He is the seventh ninja after Jonathan Brown during ANW6 Miami Qualifying, Drew Drechsel in ANW6 Miami Qualifying, Kevin Bull in ANW7 Venice Beach Qualifying, and Lorin Ball in ANW7 Kansas City Qualifying.
- Some people have posted on either Reddit or other social media platforms that Jake Murray has attempted Stage Four in testing of American Ninja Warrior 11, and beat it in under 25 seconds, which was ultimately shown during promos for Stage Two and the Season Finale that year, proving the questions correct.
- In ANW 11's Tacoma qualifier round, during his Hannibal Lecter stunt at the starting line, it was shown in the city finals that he originally slipped on the asylum take originally. He took a second take that ended up performing as planned. NBC showed his successful second take on the final cut of the qualifier episode, editing the first bloop out.
- ANW honored him as #1 of the show's best starting line moments on the broadcast of American Ninja Warrior 17, with his antics and stunts being a recurring memorable moment throughout ANW's history.
- ANW honored him as #1 of the show's wackiest moments with his cannonball into the water after taking out goggles and eating a corn dog, all coming out of his fanny pack to celebrate him having the fastest Stage One finish in American Ninja Warrior 8.
- In his submission video for American Ninja Warrior 7, it was shown that he was a tester for the course in Denver for American Ninja Warrior 6. However, it is unknown whether or not he applied for that season.
Team Ninja Record[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team: Party Time | ||||||||
| 1 | 6 (Qualifying) | Round One | 1 | Rahnaways | Adam Grossman | Win | 1-0 | |
| 1 | 6 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 1 | InvincAbels | Nathan Jasso | Loss | Jake fell at the Ring Toss and injured his left knee in the process. Travis Weinand served as his alternate for the rest of the episode. | 1-1 |
| 1 | 8 (Finals) | Round One | 1 | ExpendaBulls | Alan Connealy | Win | 2-1 | |
| 1 | 8 (Finals) | Round Two | 2 | Storm Team Moravsky | Rob Moravsky | Win | Rob fell at the Dancing Stones. | 3-1 |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round One | 1 | NorCal Ninjas | Brian Kretsch | Win | Brian fell at the Flying Shelf Grab. | 4-1 |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 1 | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Win | 5-1 | |
| 3 | 3 (Qualifying) | First Matchup | 3 | Brazi Bros | Lucas Gomes | Win | 6-1 | |
| 3 | 3 (Qualifying) | Final Matchup | 3 | All-American Ninjas | Jonathan Horton | Win | 7-1 | |
| 3 | 14 (Playofffs) | First Matchup | 1 | Hashtag Ninjas | Nicholas Coolridge | Win | Nicholas fell at the Parallel Pipes. | 8-1 |
| 3 | 14 (Playofffs) | Final Matchup | 1 | Tri Hards | Adam Rayl | Loss | 8-2 | |
| 3 | 16 (Finals) | First Matchup | 1 | Labreckfast Club | Chris DiGangi | Win | Chris fell at the Wingnuts. | 9-2 |
Relay Showdown Record[]
| Season | Episode | Competitor (Obstacle Attempted) | Opponent Team | Opponent (Obstacle Attempted) | Result | Notes | Relay Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team: Party Time | |||||||
| 1 | 6 (Qualifying) | Jennifer Tavernier (1-3) Travis Weinand (4-6) Brian Arnold (7-9) |
Real Life Beasts | Erica Cook (1-3) Drew Drechsel (4-6) James McGrath (7-9) |
Win | Erica fell at the Log Grip, resulting in a 10-second penalty for Drew. | 1-0 |
| 1 | 8 (Finals) | Jennifer Tavernier (1-3) Jake Murray (4-6) Brian Arnold (7-9) |
Lab Rats | Michelle Warnky (1-3) Brian Wilczewski (4-6) Chris Wilczewski (7-9) |
Win | 2-0 | |
| 1 | 8 (Finals) | Jennifer Tavernier (1-3) Jake Murray (4-6) Brian Arnold (7-9) |
Team TNT | Joyce Shahboz (1-3) Adam Arnold (4-6) Travis Rosen (7-9) |
Champions | 3-0 | |
| 3 | 3 (Qualifying) | Barclay Stockett (1-2) Jake Murray (3-4) Brian Arnold (5-6) |
Brazi Bros | Brittany Reid (1-2) Alexio Gomes (3-4) Lucas Gomes (5-6) |
Win | Alexio fell at the Tilting Ladders, resulting in a 5-second penalty for Lucas. | 4-0 |
| 3 | 14 (Playofffs) | Barclay Stockett (1-3) Jake Murray (4-6) Brian Arnold (7-9) |
Tri Hards | Rebekah Bonilla (1-3) Adam Rayl (4-6) Sean Bryan (7-9) |
Loss | 4-1 | |
| 3 | 14 (Playofffs) | Barclay Stockett (1-3) Jake Murray (4-6) Brian Arnold (7-9) |
Tri Hards | Rebekah Bonilla (1-3) Sean Bryan (4-6) Adam Rayl (7-9) |
Win | Adam fell at the Salmon Ladder. | 5-1 |
| 3 | 16 (Finals) | Barclay Stockett (1-2) Jake Murray (3-4) Brian Arnold (5-6) |
Labreckfast Club | Jesse Labreck (1-2) Chris DiGangi (3-4) Jon Alexis Jr. (5-6) |
Loss | 5-2 | |
American Ninja Warrior Results[]
| ANW | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Failed Double Salmon Ladder (Stage Two) | All cut. | |
| 8 | Failed Double Wedge (Stage Two) | Failed transition to second bar. | |
| 10 | Failed Epic Catch & Release (Stage Two) | ||
| 12 | Power Tower Playoffs, Round 1 | Lost to Amir Malik. | |
| 13 | Failed Falling Shelves (Stage Two) | Best performance to date. |