Alberta runner catches alleged thief in chase, retrieves wife’s stolen bike

Story by Philippe Tremblay, Canadian Cycling Magazine

When former Alberta College Athletic Conference (ACAC) provincial champion Devin Woodland headed out for a training run on Sept. 27 in Red Deer, Alta. he probably had a different route in mind than the one he ended up taking.

Ten days earlier his wife’s bike had been stolen and when he spotted it while out training he went to confront the individual with it. After taking a closer look at the bike and asking for it back, the alleged thief pedaled off. Luckily for Woodland, fresh snow made it possible to follow in pursuit and he put his running form to good use in a chase that lasted 30-40 minutes.

“He got away pretty quick, but it was snowing and you could see the tracks in the snow,” Woodland told the Calgary Herald. “I’m not a super slow runner, so I kept up with him and called the police, and I was still running after him as they called me back.”

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The thief had spray painted the bike from its original blue to a mixture of red and pink but the new coat of paint didn’t fool Woodland who recognized replacement parts he had installed. He could also see some of the original paint through the new coat leaving him certain that it was his wife’s missing bike.

In an effort to lose Woodland, the alleged thief headed off the main streets and onto bike paths in the wooded area around Red Deer. “I was with him the whole time, but the officer on the phone said I couldn’t confront him, and it was best to just wait,” Woodland said after.

Continuing his chase Woodland was likely relieved when the back up finally came bringing the pursuit to an end.

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“We were still on the trails, and when [the suspected thief] finally saw the officer after coming out of the trees, he ditched the bike and dove for cover under a tree,” Woodland said adding that his relentless chase probably frustrated the thief. “He gave up, I guess, after being chased for that long.”

Returning home triumphant, Woodland’s wife did not believe the story at first. “She didn’t really believe me, but she saw it and she was happy,” said Woodland who despite the effort to retrieve the stolen property was forgiving and decided not to press charges against the alleged thief.

This story originally appeared in Canadian Cycling Magazine.