LEWISTON — Before sunrise Thursday morning, Christian McCollough was hard at work.

But that work is a labor of love.

It was day 16 of his monthlong mission of running 3.1 miles each morning while livestreaming on TikTok, with each day dedicated to a person dealing with or close to someone battling depression, anxiety, loss, addiction or other mental health struggles.

McCollough chose the distance because it’s equal to a 5K road race — something he felt he could do every day for a month, for a total of 93 miles.

“Those 93 miles have grown into more than just running,” he said. “Each 5K carries someone’s story with it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. So being able to show up and stay consistent not only for myself, but for the community pushing and supporting me, that means more than the distance.”

During the run, McCollough interacts with dozens of people tuned in to social media to listen to his messages of inspiration. Many chime in, typing their own messages of encouragement for him or others during the live broadcast. Some have even started working out at their home or workplace — from all over the country.

The Auburn native has struggled with mental health in the past. Finding religion, exercise and reaching out to help others has helped him personally. Now, he’s reaching out to the 12,000 followers he’s gained on his TikTok channel, thehybridchristian.

“I had never used TikTok before, but felt it would be a way to reach a wider audience, and the platform offered a better interface than Facebook where I had been connecting with family and friends.”

His morning starts a little before 4:30 a.m., when he turns the lights on at the employee gym on the first floor of D’Youville Pavilion, across the street from St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, where he works.

After flicking on the lights, turning on inspirational music, and attaching his phone to a tripod next to a treadmill, he begins the livestream.

“I only have two rules: No negativity, and no talking politics,” he said. “We get trolls once in a while, but I kill them with kindness and they usually lose interest and go away. The community we have built, it’s like a family, some of them with a military background.”

McCollough, an Army veteran, feels particularly close to the veterans who seek out his work.

“I added 22 pushups to the end of my workout to bring awareness to the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day,” he said. “I can really identify with that — I was almost there.”

While McCollough does most of the talking during the livestreams, many side conversations go on between the followers who are tuned in.

“I think a lot of these people are looking for support, or just to know they are not alone in their struggles, and they help each other, and me,” he said. “We try to stick to a few basic topics. The Lord, mental health, the military, depression, anxiety, therapy, medication, running and lifting, and doughnuts.

“I like doughnuts and share my love for them. It helps lighten up the conversation and reminds us that life is all about balance,” he said.

It has taken nearly a year to build his following.

“The first couple days starting out it was just my wife and my best friend. I was talking to them like it was a phone call and it was super awkward,” he said. “But people started coming in and the positive messages and appreciation was astounding. A woman thanked me for opening up and being vulnerable.”

Another fan credits him for helping them stay sober, another to stay out of jail and off drugs. A couple months ago, he received a message that said, “I’m still alive because of you.”

In addition to his conversations, McCollough is raising money through donations and custom T-shirts he makes. “It’s a way to help not only raise money, but spread the word.” He is donating half of everything he makes to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

When the April mission is complete, McCollough has no big plans yet, except to continue the daily streams he makes after his run, 6-7 a.m., Monday-Friday, in the parking lot before going to work.

“It’s engrained into my weekly routine and has become a meeting place for friends all over that come hang out with me. I do things to make people laugh and feel good, because life is hard. I try to have fun and make people laugh.

“One day I got out of my car before going into work and made a snow angel. The followers from Texas really liked that. I joke a lot about Texas, and they give it right back. It helps lighten the mood.

“But in the end, it’s just fun to see these people come in every day and not just support me, but uplift each other,” McCollough said.