Wearing old race shirts and sharing miles of memories, the Orinda Roadrunners gathered at Rancho Laguna Park to run/hike/walk, picnic, drink coffee and reflect on the club’s 50-year anniversary.
The history of the Orinda Roadrunners is the history of Orinda. From advocating for the city’s incorporation to building community traditions and trails, the group has evolved into a supportive family.
In May they marked 50 years with 75 members in old racing shirts, reminiscing and celebrating in Rancho Laguna Park.
It all began in 1974, when Nixon was president, leisure suits were in vogue and a running craze was sweeping the nation. Jerry Wendt and Bob Campbell were turning 40 and decided to start a club in what was then unincorporated Orinda.
Meeting several times a week, usually at 5:45 a.m., the club grew to 150 members in the late 80s. Wendt’s spouse, Linda, recalls how, in the early days, members had to bring a note from their doctor or go to the Y on Embarcadero to get approved to run the annual footrace, Bay to Breakers.
Over the years, members ran every street in town, then every trail, completing the Bay Area Ridge trail and building some new ones in Orinda Oaks Park.
Many have trained together to run marathons, including those in New York City and Greece. Several members, like John Fazel, became ultra-endurance runners in races like the Western States 100-miler and the American Discovery Trail. The club included running royalty like Dipsea Hall of Fame record-holders Norman Pease and Shirley Matson, as well as Boston Marathon record-holder Patty Hung.
Among their members are former mayors, councilmembers, volunteers of the year and citizens of the year.
In 1985, when Orinda was on the ballot for incorporation, an erroneous editorial came out six days before the election. In response, the Roadrunners created flyers correcting the fallacies, distributed them among their team and delivered them via run to every home. The election turned in their favor, with 57% of the vote for Orinda becoming a city.
The club also started annual local races such as the 4th of July Run for a Reason, which began in 1984, and the Miramonte Foot Feat race, which supported the Boosters.
Wendt helped lead the effort to convert the old Orinda School into today’s library and community center with citizen support. Linda recalls the club’s “Rally around the Park” all-day event to raise funds for the tennis center. Along with member Alis Wilson, she helped put together the first Orinda telephone directory.
Most of all, Linda recalls the lifelong friendships that were built running with women in the early hours of the morning.
“We would know everything about each other,” she said. “In this group, there have been marriages, divorces and kids who grew up to run with us.”
“Over the 50 years, there’s been a dramatic evolution of the Roadrunners,” said Fazel. “In the early years we were interested in running, racing, conditioning and good health. Simultaneously, we evolved into being involved with the community. Now most of us are retired and we are a family and a support group. That’s the most important thing we can do right now.”
Many of the members switched to biking or walking, but the group held together and is still active today.
At the age of 89, Roadrunners co-founder Wendt reminisces, “What began 50 years ago as a club for health, exercise and camaraderie, developed into a close group of families and friends of which I am honored to be a part.”