MILWAUKEE, WI — A Wisconsin community is mourning an unimaginable loss after a father of four collapsed and died while running his first half marathon.
The runner has been identified as John Meise, 36, of Waukesha, who died on Sunday, October 4, 2026, after collapsing during the Milwaukee Lakefront Half Marathon.
According to WISN, Meise was competing in Sunday morning’s Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon when a witness saw him collapse shortly before 10 a.m.. Another runner told the outlet that emergency medical technicians performed lifesaving measures near the 13-mile point, less than 600 feet from the finish line.
Meise was taken to the hospital by ambulance from a part of the half marathon course along the Hoan Bridge. He was carried from the course on a stretcher and transported to Froedtert Hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon after his arrival.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said Meise had no known medical history and that his cause of death had not been determined. Witnesses saw Meise collapse to the ground, and the medical examiner says he had no medical history. The official cause of death remains pending.
This was supposed to be a celebration. Family says this was Meise’s first marathon, though he had been an avid runner for six years. According to his wife, Meise had been running for six years, but Sunday marked his first half marathon.
He leaves behind a devastated family. Meise is survived by his wife, Lauren, and their four young children: Mason, 11, Owen, 8, Lucy, 4, and 1-year-old Isla.
Meise leaves behind a wife and four children — 11-year-old Mason, 8-year-old Owen, 4-year-old Lucy and 1-year-old Isla. He’s being remembered as the ultimate family man.
“He was the best dad in the world and he lived for his kids,” Meise’s wife Lauren said.
“His loss has left an enormous hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him, especially the family he loved more than anything,” his sister-in-law, Kristin Bennett, wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help support the family. Bennett said Meise would be remembered for “a way of making people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”
Meise earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and worked as a brand and digital marketing manager at QuadMed.
Race organizers released a statement saying, “The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon extends its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the half marathon participant who passed away following Sunday’s event”. Organizers said Meise’s death was the first in the race’s 44-year history.
A GoFundMe fundraiser titled “Support for John Meise’s Family” has been established by his family to help his wife Lauren and their four young children through this unimaginable loss. A Meal Train has also been created by family friends.
Our most heartfelt and deepest condolences go out to Lauren, Mason, Owen, Lucy, baby Isla, and all of John’s family, friends, and fellow runners.
Rest in Peace, John. A devoted husband, incredible father, and beloved runner — gone just feet from the finish line, but never forgotten
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