When Rowan Vansleve crosses the starting line at Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon, he will have already run 49 marathons in the previous 89 days.
The president of Hope the Mission, America's largest rescue mission, will complete his 50th marathon at the iconic race, capping a 1,300-mile fundraising journey aimed at drawing attention to Los Angeles County's homelessness crisis.
"I see the scale of this crisis every single day. In Los Angeles there are tens of thousands of people living outside, and it can start to feel normal to people who aren't close to it," Vansleve said. "I never want it to feel normal."
The Australian-born nonprofit leader has raised more than $115,000 toward a $250,000 fundraising goal. Hope the Mission provides shelter and services to more than 3,000 people on any given night across Southern California.
Vansleve said the punishing schedule of running a marathon nearly every day has tested him physically and mentally. But he said the most difficult aspect has been the solitude.
"Honestly, the hardest part hasn't been the physical pain—it's the loneliness," he said. "When I'm running with people it's incredible—there's energy, conversation, community. But some of these miles are done alone, and those quiet stretches can be tough mentally."
His 49th marathon in Washington, D.C., proved particularly grueling, with temperatures reaching only 33 degrees.
"I was cold, exhausted, and everything hurt," Vansleve recalled. "But those moments also remind me why I'm doing it."
The experience reinforced a core belief that now shapes his message: people are not meant to face struggles alone.
"Through this journey, I learned that we are made for community," he said. "Just like I'm not finishing this challenge alone, ending homelessness will only happen when we build real community and keep walking alongside people as they rebuild their lives."
Extreme physical challenges have become a hallmark of Vansleve's fundraising approach during his 15 years with the organization. He has bicycled from Santa Monica to Washington, D.C., run 350 miles from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, walked more than 1,200 miles from Seattle to Los Angeles, and spent 100 hours living unsheltered on city streets. Those efforts have collectively raised $5 million for homeless services.
"The idea is simple: if I'm willing to push myself far enough, people start paying attention, and when they pay attention, they start helping," Vansleve said. "And that's how we bring more people inside."
When exhaustion threatens to overwhelm him during a race, Vansleve said he focuses on individuals rather than statistics.
"Hope has more than 3,000 beds, and we serve thousands of people every year, but in those moments I don't think about the big numbers," he said. "I think about the one kid living with their family at the Woodlands shelter whose life has changed because they finally have a safe place to sleep. And then I think about the one person who is still outside tonight because we simply don't have enough beds."
Vansleve acknowledged he is not an elite athlete and will not threaten any course records Sunday. But he hopes spectators lining the 26.2-mile route take away a simple message.
"I want people to understand that homelessness isn't some abstract issue—it's about real people," he said. "A neighbor. Someone's son or daughter. Someone who deserves dignity and a real chance to rebuild their life."
He also wants Angelenos to know that progress is possible.
"At Hope the Mission we see lives change every single day. Families come inside. People recover. People rebuild," Vansleve said. "So when people see me finish my 50th marathon, I hope they see more than just my tired legs. I hope they're reminded that change happens when we show up together, care enough to get involved, and decide they want to be part of the solution."
The Los Angeles Marathon takes place Sunday, March 8, following the "Stadium to the Stars" course from Dodger Stadium through Hollywood and Beverly Hills to Century City.