Philip Kreycik's Family Holds Out Hope in 2nd Week of Search for Missing Jogger

PLEASANTON (KPIX 5) – Friends and family of Philip Kreycik are holding out hope in the second week of searching for the missing runner from the East Bay.

"We are all baffled that we haven't found anything yet. Not even a trace, like a piece of clothing or a shoelace or anything," Jen Yao, Kreycik's wife, told KPIX 5 Tuesday.

Kreycik's car was found at a trailhead on Pleasanton Ridge where he was set to go for a run on July 10th. The husband and father of two from Berkeley never returned to his vehicle.

Because Kreycik ran ultramarathons and has extensive wilderness experience, his father Keith thinks it's possible he's made it out of Pleasanton Ridge now.

"He's so strong that we think he could've gone a long, long distance. Even if you're living in an area where you say, 'he never could've made it 20 miles over here,' in the time period we're talking about it would've been very easy to get 20 miles away from the center of town," Keith Kreycik said.

They think it's possible he's well beyond the bounds of Pleasanton Ridge.

The family is asking people to be on the lookout for someone who is disoriented and to check Ring cameras and outbuildings and office parks empty due to the pandemic to see if he's there.

Kreycik's family is blown away by the hundreds of volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to search for him.

"The outpouring of support has just been incredible from the community. Literally hundreds and hundreds of people out supporting us," said Keith Kreycik.

Phillip is father to a 3-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl. Yao has tried to explain his absence to their children.

"I said that he's on a long run. He may be lost and we and so many other people are helping to look for him," said Yao.

Jen and Phillip met at MIT. She says he loves walks and cooking for his family.

"He truly finds joy in the simple things, like looking out our window at the sunset and pulls me over to look at it - even when I don't have time - when I thought that I didn't have time," she recalled.

His family believes he may have traveled as far south as Hayward, made his way onto the Iron Horse Trail, or possibly as far north as Berkeley.