Dutch half-marathon runners outpace Malmö thief

The 24-year-old thief bolted out the door when he heard the vehicle’s occupants returning, local newspaper Sydsvenskan reports. But his pace was no match for the amateur athletes.

“The Dutch people had their trainers on,” police inspector Magnus Svensson told the newspaper.

The visitors had arrived in the city earlier in the day and parked their camper outside Casino Cosmopol. Once they had finished sightseeing, the runners returned to their vehicle, which they noticed was shaking.

“It was the wrong place to try a break- in,” said Svensson.

The runners hot-footed it after the burglar and a newly stolen iPhone was quickly returned to its rightful owners. The man, who is known to the police, was later arrested and is suspected of aggravated robbery.

The tourists from the Netherlands are among 30,000 people set to participate in Saturday’s afternoon’s Broloppet race over the Öresund Bridge.