Runner likely suffered from heat stroke prior to his death

Officials say smartwatch indicates Philip Kreycik struggled while in park

Philip Kreycik, an avid trail runner whose disappearance last month set off a weekslong search and rescue effort, likely died about four and a half hours after beginning his trail run at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, an official said Tuesday.

Though Kreycik started his route moving at a quick clip, he eventually slowed dramatically and wavered off course.

He may have been “suffering from heat stroke, or having some type of delirium” in his final moments, Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday, based on a review of GPS data from Kreycik’s smartwatch.

While a coroner’s official report is still not complete, the data — which was first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle — suggests that Kreycik died before any of the legions of professional and volunteer searchers came looking for him, Kelly said.

Kreycik, who left his phone in his car at the Moller Ranch Staging Area on July 10 when he set out for what he told his wife would be a one-hour hike, appears to have started his trail run strong, hitting at a top speed of nearly 12 miles per hour — a roughly 5 minute mile pace.

But after about 45 minutes, Kreycik’s speed dropped off to a light jogging pace. He briefly picked up the pace again, but after being out in the park on a scorchingly hot day for a little over two hours, he slowed to a walking pace, and his movements became erratic, Kelly said.

Kelly said the data from the watch was reviewed by experts, who believe Kreycik eventually fell into a state of distress.

“Because the GPS data begins to circle and circle and circle, and it’s got no rhyme or reason to it, it’s very sporadic and it’s a very confused and very disoriented type of data,” Kelly said.

“He didn’t take the whole route, he took a portion of that route. He deviated from his plan.”

Kreycik started on his trail run at about 10:49 a.m., and based on his running experience and early pace, Kelly said it’s very likely Kreycik could have been back at his car by noon if the run went as it was apparently planned.

“He ended up way off course,” Kelly said. Authorities believe Kreycik was intending to take a roughly 8-mile route along a loop trail in the park that had been outlined on his Strava fitness app, which should have taken him about an hour to complete because of his running acumen.

His wife, Jen Yao, reported Kreycik missing around 2 p.m. that day, and searchers were looking for him by later that evening, Kelly said.

The search efforts grew, and law enforcement teams used drones, scent dogs, and night flights with heat signature sensing technology to try and locate him. Thousands of people from the Bay Area and beyond eventually pitched in to help look for Kreycik, spanning weeks, before a volunteer searcher located his body under a tree, a short distance off a game trail, on Aug. 3.

Authorities previously told this news organization the watch Kreycik was wearing did not have GPS capability. Kelly said officials initially received mixed information about which kind of watch Kreycik had. It was a Suunto brand smartwatch, with GPS capabilities, though it did not track biometric data, such as his heartbeat.

Kelly said Kreycik traversed a total of 9.62 kilometers, or roughly six miles. While there is no biometric data from the watch, Kelly said authorities believe Kreycik died very shortly after his last movements were recorded, about four and a half hours after beginning his exercise.

A preliminary autopsy completed earlier this month showed no signs of foul play, Kelly said, and combined with the watch data, indicates it is very likely Kreycik suffered from some “medical event” during his run.

“There was no sign of major broken bones or significant traumatic injuries that would cause you to become incapacitated or nonmobile,” Kelly said.

“The watch data is very important and it’s definitely helpful to investigators and to the coroner’s bureau and to the family in kind of giving us a timeline and a better understanding of the events that happened at the end of Philip’s life,” he said. “In that regard, it’s very helpful and kind of helps put your mind at ease regarding any other possible

scenario.”