KINGSTON, R.I. — March 31, 2025 — Every spring for 48 hours, University of Rhode Island senior Jonah Steinweh-Adler and a close-knit group of running enthusiasts push their bodies – and minds – to the limit for a noble cause.

For the past four years, Steinweh-Adler, a North Kingstown, Rhode Island, native, has spearheaded the annual 4x4x48 Run for Charity at URI, a 48-hour endurance run where participants complete four miles every four hours over a two-day stretch. Each circuit starts and ends in front of Barlow Circle with proceeds from donations benefitting Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to providing medical care to areas affected by conflict, disasters, or epidemics.

This year’s event begins Friday, April 4, at 6 p.m. and concludes at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. With four hours between each circuit of the race, participants can complete each four-mile stretch at their own pace depending on whether they choose to run, jog, walk, or hike the trail.

“This is one of my favorite events to organize and participate in because anyone can just jump in with us, join the race, and be part of our whole crew,” Steinweh-Adler said, “and it doesn’t really matter if you finish one leg or all 12 – the idea is for people to help spread the word. It’s become an inviting community event.” 

The 4x4x48 is the brainchild of David Goggins, a famed ultramarathon runner, retired U.S. Navy SEAL, and motivational speaker, who pioneered the concept in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for people around the world suffering from cabin fever to test their physical and mental strength and overcome perceived limitations. The challenge quickly went viral, and participants in recent years have used it to raise funds for a charity of their choice.

An avid runner, Steinweh-Adler tried it for the first time as a senior at North Kingstown High School and decided upon enrolling at URI to host an annual 4x4x48 challenge on campus to encourage others to join and raise money for Doctors Without Borders. His friend and fellow senior, Nick Powers, a computer science and applied mathematics major from West Greenwich, Rhode Island, helped him coordinate the annual challenge and build a website to track participants and accept donations.

Steinweh-Adler says that while he leads the event planning, Powers has been instrumental in helping him think through logistics, spreading the word via social media and other outlets, and providing general support throughout the process.

“I couldn’t do it without him,” Steinweh-Adler said of Powers. “I can’t say enough about the guidance and support he provides.”

Each year, the group of runners grows, and the more they share the news via social media, the more donations pour in; two years ago, Steinweh-Adler raised approximately $3,200 and in other years has raised a little more than $1,000 each time. URI President Marc Parlange, himself an avid runner, is competing in this year’s challenge for the third year in a row.

“It goes by quickly and the adrenaline really carries you,” Steinweh-Adler said. “I’ve done challenges in the past with only two people joining, but in the last couple of years we’ve had a big group of people run with us, and this year we’re expecting as many as 15 other people participating. It’s so much easier with a big group. The spirits are high and the other runners are there to help lift you up.”

Now in his fifth year of participating in and organizing the challenge, Steinweh-Adler has developed a training regimen that consists of running almost daily for the entire month leading up to the event. Once the challenge begins, he establishes a pace of just under 10 minutes per mile – “I’m going for endurance, not speed,” he said, to avoid fatigue down the stretch.

“We welcome people of all paces,” Steinweh-Adler said.

The toughest circuits, according to Steinweh-Adler, are the overnight runs once darkness sets in, so he strategically launches the challenge at 6 p.m. on a Friday to maximize the sunlight over the 48-hour stretch. “At 6, you still get a little bit of sunlight, and by 6 a.m. the following morning, the sun is out again,” he said, “so, at worst, you’re running in the dark for the 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. legs.”

“Finishing the last few legs can be difficult, and your mind begins playing tricks, but when you don’t give yourself an option and tell yourself, ‘You’re going to do this!’ you will complete it.”

Steinweh-Adler first caught wind of the 4x4x48 challenge as a high school senior who wasn’t sure about the next step in his journey but had just started running for exercise. While some students played the guitar, painted, or played soccer, he “never really had my own thing” until he decided to try the challenge.

A double major in journalism and history, Steinweh-Adler has become a fixture at URI events and participated in myriad organizations and activities. Last year, he was vice president of the Student Senate and currently serves on the board of the University’s Student Action for Sustainability (SAS) club. He’s also been a tour guide for the past four years, spent a semester on the men’s ultimate club sports team, worked as a Resident Academic Mentor (RAM) for the Housing and Residential Life department (alongside Powers, also a RAM), and studied abroad last fall in Germany, where his grandmother – or oma – lives.

Four years since graduating high school, Steinweh-Adler finds himself at a similar crossroads pondering the next step in his journey, which could include spending a year studying abroad in Japan or dabbling in politics and public policy. For now, the focus remains on the upcoming 4x4x48 challenge – another opportunity to test his limits and raise money for a worthy cause.

Michael Parente, director of communications and marketing in the URI Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.