Last modified 02/17/23

February 2023


After the Second Saturday Run (Isherwood/Quarry Lakes)




At the First Saturday Run (Don Edwards/Coyote Hills)


December 2022


MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle)

A group of Mission Peak Striders members and their guests enjoyed the club's holiday party on Sat. Dec. 10 at Bosco's Bones restaurant in Sunol CA. We dined on sumptuous food from Bosco's Bones and enjoyed Chuck Lee wines (chardonnay & pinot noir). Ten individuals took away a bottle of wine from the wine raffle, festively prepared by Carol Turner. We were graced by the presence of two MPS members from the past -- Dale & Sharon Bodtker of Newark and Frank Juarez of West Linn OR. In runner interviews, we learned about the running careers of Frank and club president Dave Finck. After dinner, we retired to the bar to enjoy the music of the Across Party Lines band, including MPSer Dan Harris on guitar and vocals.
(first post COVID ... and late at that)



December 2019


MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle)

Thirty one MPS members and guests enjoyed a festive outing at the annual MPS Holiday Dinner last Sunday at Spin A Yarn Restaurant in Fremont. We dined on delicious food and enjoyed cellar wines from Chuck Lee.
We enjoyed hearing about the running careers and accomplishments of four MPS members – Steve Wickland, Mara Sheade, Dale Bodtker, and Senthil Cheetancheri -- who were interviewed following dinner. The raffle saw 16 attendees take home a bottle of wine (or beer), two carafes, and running gel, all elegantly prepared by Carol Turner. The evening ended with a group sing of four holiday songs. All in all, a great way to celebrate the spirit of the season.

December 2018


MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle)

Thirty one MPS members and guests enjoyed a festive outing at the annual MPS Holiday Dinner Sunday the ninth at Spin A Yarn Restaurant in Fremont. We dined on delicious food and enjoyed cellar wines from Chuck Lee.

We enjoyed hearing about the running careers and accomplishments of three MPS members – Jeff Sheade, Kelly Rackham, and Abe Mazliach -- who were interviewed following dinner. The raffle saw 12 attendees take home a bottle of wine, elegantly prepared by Carol Turner.

All in all, a great way to celebrate the spirit of the season.

October 2018


MPS Milage Awards Party Wrap
Twenty nine MPS members and their guests enjoyed pizza and other goodies at the MPS Mileage Recognition party on a balmy afternoon last Sat. at the home of Gordon & Rita Gillmouth.  Mileage Recognition Awards – renamed as The Doug Mileage Recognition Award – were presented to eight MPS members:
�      25,000 miles – Steve Wickland
�      35,000 miles – Regis Amann
�      40,000 miles – Mike Dunn, Fred Heinze, Joe Walter
�      45,000 miles – Chris Sullivan
�      55,000 miles – Mike King, J.R. Mintz
 
Julie Ward, Doug’s widow, traveled from her home in Bend OR for the unveiling of the new Doug Ward mileage certificate.  Julie was presented with an honorary mileage award.
 
Several members went home with running posters, donated by Julie from Doug’s collection.

April 2018

Doug Ward, our founder, passed away April 3 at age 72.
A huge part of Doug’s life was running. He participated in running events including 30 marathons and was a race director and Fleet Feet store owner.
He will be greatly missed.


December 2017

MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle) - recap

Twenty one MPS members and guests enjoyed a festive outing at the annual MPS Holiday Dinner last Friday evening at Jack’s Brewing Company in Fremont.  We dined on a variety of pub food and enjoyed cellar wines from Chuck Lee.
We enjoyed hearing about the running careers and accomplishments of three MPS members – Mike King, Carol Turner, and Mike Dunn -- who were interviewed following dinner.  The raffle saw 10 attendees take home a bottle of wine, elegantly prepared by Carol Turner.
All in all, a great way to celebrate the spirit of the season.

December 2016


MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle) - recap

style="font-weight: normal;"> Twenty eight MPS members and guests enjoyed a festive evening at the annual MPS Holiday Dinner Sunday evening at the Market Broiler Restaurant in Fremont.  We dined on sea food and enjoyed cellar wines from Chuck Lee.
We enjoyed hearing about the running careers and accomplishments of three MPS members – Chris Sullivan, Michael Huynh, and Dave Finck -- who were interviewed following dinner.  The raffle saw 10 attendees take home a bottle of wine, elegantly prepared by Carol Turner.
All in all, a great way to celebrate the spirit of the season.
 Also, on club matters, we discussed options for the 5th Saturday run on Dec. 30 (New Years Eve day; either the Brazen race at Quarry Lakes, or Pleasanton Ridge followed by breakfast in Sunol, or Garin Park; stay tuned for an announcement) and for a free wellness seminar that has been offered to the club (targeting for Sat. Feb. 4 after the Coyote Hills run - tentative at this time; stay tuned for an official announcement).

December 2015

Holidays Party

MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle) Friday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Cut the Crab Restaurant - Cajun Seafood & Bar 4949 Stevenson Blvd Suite I Fremont, CA 94538 (corner Stevenson & Grimmer) (510) 573-2264 www.cutthecrab.net
Pre-dinner drinks and appetizers at 5:00 p.m. at The home of Gordon & Rita Gillmouth 257 Segovia Pl Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-0943 Members, spouses, significant others, children, and guests are welcome. We typically hold the Holiday Dinner on a Friday evening in early December, but not the California International Marathon weekend. This year, CIM -- an event popular with club members -- is on Sun. Dec. 6. So, the Holiday Dinner will be held the following Friday, Dec. 11.
Cut the Crab Restaurant has been open a year, focusing on Cajun seafood. We will order off the menu, with individual checks. Check out their menu at the above listed website.
Alcoholic drinks (cocktails, beer, & wine) are available for individual purchase. And there’s a rumor that Santa Lee may bring his home made wine; a $10 corkage fee, per bottle, will apply for those who partake in Chuck’s handicraft.
And, back by popular demand is the free wine raffle!! Each person (21 yrs & older) will receive a raffle ticket. Winners will be drawn from a hat for 10 bottles of wine, compliments of the club. Based on expected attendance, that works out to about one bottle for every 3 to 4 adults. Pretty good odds!
Please advise Gordon Gillmouth by e-mail (gillmouth@yahoo.com) if you will attend and how many in your party. Please let Gordon know by Wed. Dec. 9, so we can give the restaurant an advance head count. We hope to see you there.

August 2015

Double Header Party

We hope you have your calendars marked for the MPS double header party on Sat. Aug. 22 at the home of Regis & Sets Amann in Union City, starting at 5 p.m.
We will honor those club members who have turned 70 within the last year and present Mileage Recognition Awards.
Please RSVP for the party by Wed. Aug. 19 to Sets Amann.
Mileage Recognition Awards will be presented to club members who have logged 25,000 running miles lifetime or increments of 5K above the 25K level. In the last week eight members have come forward for awards: 30K - Carol Turner; 35K - Mike Dunn & Joe Walter; 40K - Chris Sullivan & J.R. Mintz, 50K - Mike King, 55K - Gordon Gillmouth, 60K - Chuck Lee. We're expecting others to come forth. We leave it to each individual to tally their cumulative miles, or reasonably estimate such. Round your total down to the nearest 5K increment; for example, if you have run 27K miles, you will be honored for achieving the 25K level. So, check your cumulative miles (or what you expect to reach by Aug. 22) and advise Gordon Gillmouth (gillmouth@yahoo.com) if you qualify for an award. Gordon needs to know by Aug. 12 to get the awards prepared for the Aug. 22 party.
See 2015 Milage Recognition for the final listing.

December 2014

Holidays Party

MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle) Friday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Bijan Restaurant 39935 Mission Blvd Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 440-1755 http://www.bijanrestaurant.net

Pre-dinner drinks and appetizers at 5:30 p.m. at The home of Gordon & Rita Gillmouth 257 Segovia Pl Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-0943

Members, spouses, significant others, children, and guests are welcome.

We typically hold the Holiday Dinner on a Friday evening in early December, but not the California International Marathon weekend. This year, CIM -- an event popular with club members -- is on Sun. Dec. 7. So, the Holiday Dinner will be held the following Friday, Dec. 12.

Bijan Restaurant has been a fixture on Mission Blvd (in a strip mall at the intersection of Mission Blvd & Las Palmas) for many years, serving Persian and Middle Eastern food.

Dinner will be a preset menu – 2 vegetarian appetizers, 2 kabobs (beef & chicken; vegetarian option available upon request), rice & salad, and non-alcoholic drink. The cost, including tax & tip, will be $32 per person. Alcoholic drinks (cocktails, beer, & wine) are available for individual purchase. And there’s a rumor that Santa Lee may bring his home made wine; a $15 corkage fee, per bottle, will apply for those who partake in Chuck’s handicraft.

And, back by popular demand is the free wine raffle!! Each person (21 yrs & older) will receive a raffle ticket. Winners will be drawn from a hat for 10 bottles of wine, compliments of the club. Based on expected attendance, that works out to about one bottle for every 3 to 4 adults. Pretty good odds!

Please advise Gordon Gillmouth by e-mail (gillmouth@yahoo.com) if you will attend and how many in your party. Please let Gordon know byWed. Dec. 10, so we can give the restaurant an advance head count.

We hope to see you there.

November

Holidays Party
Happy Holidays to all.

MPS Holiday Dinner Recap Twenty seven MPS members and their guests enjoyed a festive evening at the annual MPS Holiday Dinner last Friday at the Rose Garden Restaurant in Union City. We dined on an eight course menu selected by proprietor Lawrence Wong, a former MPS member, and enjoyed cellar wines from Chuck Lee. We enjoyed hearing about the running careers and recent accomplishments of three MPS members -- Lisa Hughey, Sophia Shi, and Dan Harris -- who were interviewed following dinner. And 10 attendees took home a bottle of wine, elegantly prepared by Carol Turner, during the wine raffle. All in all, a great way to celebrate the spirit of the season.

MPS Holiday Dinner (and Wine Raffle) Friday, Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at The Rose Garden Restaurant 33348 Alvarado-Niles Road Union City , CA 94587 (510) 489-5090 Members, spouses, significant others, children, and guests are welcome.

Dinner will be a preset menu, including several vegetarian dishes, served family style. The cost will be $25 per person, which includes dinner, non-alcoholic drinks, tax, and tip. Alcoholic drinks (beer & wine) are available for individual purchase. And there’s a rumor that Santa Lee may bring his home made wine; a $10 corkage fee will apply for those who partake in Chuck’s handicraft. And, back by popular demand is the free wine raffle!! The wine raffle at last year's Holiday Dinner was a hit, so we will do it again this year. Each person (21 yrs & older) will receive a raffle ticket. Winners will be drawn from a hat for 10 bottles of wine, compliments of the club. Based on expected attendance, that works out to about one bottle for every 4 adults. Pretty good odds!

Please advise Gordon Gillmouth by e-mail (gillmouth@yahoo.com) if you will attend and how many in your party. Please let Gordon know by Tues. Dec. 10, so we can give the restaurant an advance head count. We hope to see you there.

December

MPS Holiday Dinner - 2011

Our annual Holiday dinner will be held Friday, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at World Gourmet Restaurant 6010 Stevenson Blvd Fremont , CA 94538 (510) 490-6888

Members, spouses, significant others, children, and guests are welcome.

World Gourmet is an upscale buffet restaurant, featuring a wide variety of seafood, sushi, Chinese, Hawaiian BBQ, salads, and deserts. We had our Holiday dinner at this restaurant several years ago and it seemed to work well.

Very favorable pricing has been made available to our group. The all-you-can-eat buffet is $17.99 per person. If you pay in cash, you receive a 25% discount; if you pay with a credit card, you receive a 20% discount.

Drinks (soda, juice, tea, coffee, beer, & wine) are extra. The restaurant will prepare separate checks for each couple or person. Please advise Marie Chavez by e-mail if you will attend and how many in your party. Please advise Marie by Wed. Dec. 7, so we can give the restaurant an advance head count.

We hope to see you there.

MPS Christmas Dinner
Our annual Christmas dinner will be held Friday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at

The Rose Garden Restaurant 33348 Alvarado-Niles Road Union City, CA 94587 (510) 489-5090

Members, spouses, significant others, children, and guests are welcome. Dinner will be a preset menu (9 items), selected in conjunction with Lawrence Wong, Rose Garden proprietor and former MPS member, and will include several vegetarian dishes. It will be served family style. The cost is $20 per person, which includes dinner, non-alcoholic drinks, tax, and tip.

Alcoholic drinks (beer and wine) are available for individual purchase. Winemaker Chuck Lee will also bring some of his home made wine and a corkage fee will apply for those who partake in Chuck's handicraft.

If you have not already done so, please advise Marie Chavez by e-mail if you will attend and how many in your party. Please advise Marie by Wed. Dec. 8, as we need to give the restaurant an advance head count so they can prepare food accordingly.

November

The votes are in for our Christmas Dinner. It'll be held on 12/10, the Friday. We're still working on the details and will be announce soon. Stay tuned......

October

The Christmas Dinner is at Rose Garden. Please vote on following dates and send an email to marie indicating yours first and second choice: VOTE!
Friday, 12/10
Saturday, 12/11
Friday, 12/17
Saturday, 12/18

June

Victory and David Finck's 25th Anniversary Party !!!!

Please come and celebrate with us on our 25th. Victoria could use few drinks after putting up with me for so long. If you all could RSVP at vdfinck@comcast.net we would appreciate it. Again everyone's invited, bring the kids.

Location: Holly Community Center 31600 Alvarado Blvd.Union City, CA 94587 US

View Map

When: Saturday, June 12, 6:00PM

November

Christmas Party! Where to eat?

Please remember to vote for the MPS Holiday Dinner. Thank you to Clancey, Mara, Mike D, Regis, and Gordon who have already spoken up. I encourage members to vote because it is a really close running! Majority votes win....just a couple more days. Choices are Rose Garden Chinese (same as last year) or El Burro mexican restaurant in Newark.

Happy Holidays To All!
Our holiday party is at El Burro in Newark, 7:00pm on Friday December 18th.
I will need back from each of you, if you are attending, your dish choice (# choice is fine). The price for all dishes is $20, which includes your dish w/salad, drink (coffee, tea, or soda) and gratuity. All other drinks are not included.....are available, but not included in the $20! ;)