Search For Missing Pleasanton Runner Stretches Into Fourth Day

Photo: Pleasanton PD

The search for a 37-year-old Berkeley man who set off into midday heat for a run in the hills near Moller Ranch staging area in Pleasanton stretched into its third day Monday with no trace of the missing man being found.

So far, the search for Philip Kreycik has turned up no evidence of the runner, reported missing by his wife after he failed to return home Saturday following what he told her would be a one-hour run.

Kreycik, an avid runner with no known health issues, parked his car at the staging area around 11 a.m. Saturday and set off. He was believed to be wearing running clothes. It was not known if he was carrying any type of hydration with him for the run.

His car, wallet and phone were later recovered by authorities, his phone with his intended route still on it.

A search involving multiple agencies was conducted Saturday and on into Tuesday with searchers using drones, fixed-wing overflights of the area and off-road vehicles in an effort to locate the missing man. Dozens of running enthusiasts volunteered to aid in the search.

Search and Rescue teams from throughout the Bay Area joined the search, and a tracking dog initially picked up Kreycik’s scent near the trailhead where he planned to start his run but eventually lost the track.

Anyone with information about Kreycik’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Pleasanton Police Department at 925-931-5100.

Related Articles

15 Comments

  1. Lourdes Meza-Castillo on Jul 11, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    Prayers…

  2. Bob on Jul 11, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    did he have a regular route he ran??? Anyone run with him?? Hope they find him soon.

  3. Amy on Jul 11, 2021 at 5:11 pm

    Saw all the searchers. Hope they find him!!!

  4. Nicky on Jul 11, 2021 at 7:24 pm

    Is it possible he went running in a different location?

  5. Patrick Hansen on Jul 11, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    As an experienced runner myself, I question why he would go out on the Ridge at 11:00 am with pending 100 degree heat. It doesn’t make sense…we do all we can as runners to avoid heat issues.

    • NEWS24-680 on Jul 11, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      Right, Patrick, though one committed marathoner here said that sometimes folks “heat train” for special events. We have no information that was the case here, however…

  6. Robert Miller on Jul 12, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    Yes, check out the Badwater Ultra-marathon. Those runners are not training up in the Yukon.

  7. Vince G on Jul 12, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    It would be really difficult to get lost there, particularly with all these people looking for you. I can see leaving your wallet, but what serious runner runs without a phone these days unless you don’t want to be tracked? How are you going to log the run? Strava. etc.

  8. Teresa on Jul 12, 2021 at 6:26 pm

    Thanks for the spare water bottle!

    • NEWS24-680 on Jul 12, 2021 at 6:27 pm

      You’re welcome!

  9. Keith Montoya on Jul 12, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    Injury or heat stroke? Unusual that there is no trace so far. It doesn’t make any sense that he went running during a heat wave. I hope they find him.

  10. Gregg on Jul 12, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    difficult terrain in there. keeping his family in our thoughts.

  11. Nicole Corso on Jul 13, 2021 at 10:46 am

    As a Pleasanton resident who knows that Ridge and area’s very well, I honestly suspect that a cougar got him. I have seen 2 over the years there, granted not at 11am, and u have been tracking at least 1 for years now within walking distance from my home. While it is unusual for a cougar to hunt mid day, they absolutely will if old, sick, or cannot get their hands on what they normally eat. I would start watching for volutures and I would also be looking up trees. I hope that I am wrong, but 3 days and no trace? Either another human or a cat got this man.

    • Kleinart Farms on Jul 13, 2021 at 11:14 am

      Wow. I sure hope not.

    • Dara Ann on Jul 13, 2021 at 11:45 am

      Hmm. Any cat scat or – forgive us – a blood trail? Evidence of attack? Nothing reported so far. It was approaching 110 out there on Saturday and I really hope he didn’t fall victim to the heat. It’s a great big search area and a man can get lost in it. Hoping his family gets some closure soon.

Leave a Comment