Fellow runner desperately tried to help Wisconsin dad of 4 who died after collapsing during half-marathon

A Milwaukee marathon runner desperately tried to save a dad of four who collapsed just shy of the finish line – before he was pronounced dead.

The competitor, who has not been publicly named, “immediately stepped in to help” after John Meise collapsed just 600 feet from the race’s finish line on Sunday morning, Meise’s family revealed in a fundraiser created Monday to help his widow, Lauren, and their children.

The runner and medical staff “did everything they could but John could not be revived,” his sister-in-law, Kristin Bennett, said.

A Milwaukee dad of four, John Meise, collapsed just shy of the half marathon’s finish line before being pronounced dead. TMJ4

Meise, who had no known medical history, collapsed during what was his first half marathon.

He was rushed to Froedtert Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

His cause of death has not been revealed.

Meise, a digital and marketing manager for the healthcare provider QuadMed, was “the center of his family’s world,” Bennett said, paying tribute to the dad, who leaves behind his children Mason, 11, Owen, 8, Lucy, 4, and Isla, 1.

“He was a husband, father, son, brother, and so much more,” she said.

“If you knew John, you loved John. He had a way of making people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for, and his presence made a difference in the lives of so many. 

Meise had no known medical history and his cause of death has not been revealed. Kristin Bennett/GoFundMe

“His loss has left an enormous hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him, especially the family he loved more than anything.”

Meise’s widow, Lauren, described him as “the best dad in the world,” adding that “he lived for his kids.”

Race organizers have expressed their condolences following the tragedy.

Around 6,000 people took part in the run — a qualifying race for next year’s Boston Marathon.