Ahmet Arslan (athlete)

For the footballer, see Ahmet Arslan (footballer).

Ahmet Arslan (born 1986 in Gazipaşa, Antalya) is a long-distance runner from Turkey competing in mountain running. He is a six time successive champion of European Mountain Running Championships.

Ahmet Arslan

Personal information
Nationality	Turkish
Born	1986 (age 37–38) Gazipaşa, Antalya, Turkey
Sport
Country	Turquie
Sport	Mountain running
Coached by	Metin Sazak
Medal record Mountain Running Representing  Turkey World Grand Prix 2010 Šmarna gora Senior World Championships 2011 Tirana Senior World Trophy 2008 Sierre Senior European Championships 2013 Borovets Senior 2012 Denizli Senior 2011 Bursa Senior 2010 Sapareva Banya Senior 2009 Telfes im Stubai Senior 2008 Zell am Harmersbach Senior 2007 Cauterets Senior

Biography

He was born in 1986^[1] to a farmer's family in Gazipaşa of Antalya Province in southern Turkey. Ahmet Arslan has seven siblings. He completed his primary and secondary education in his hometown. After the high school, he attended Adnan Menderes University in Aydın and graduated 2009 with a degree in physical education and sports.^[2]

Ahmet Arslan started with athletics in 2000 at the high school. He had to discontinue sports in 2004 for one year. After 2005, he begin intensive running training, especially after meeting his coach Metin Sazak, a former athlete. He switched to mountain running from cross-country running. That year, he took part in the national mountain running championships and became successful although he competed in the seniors category despite his young age. Admitted to the national team, he participated at his first international events like the European Mountain Championships and the World Mountain Running Trophy and gained international experience.^[2]

From 2007 on, Ahmet Arslan won the European championships six times in a row.^[3] In 2010, he won the gold medal also at the WMRA Grand Prix.^[4][5] He was the silver medallist at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships, coming second behind American Max King.^[6] In the absence of the American, he won the continental title at the 2011 European Mountain Running Championships held in Turkey. He won that year's WMRA Grand Prix series. He began 2012 with a win at the Montée du Grand Ballon race.^[7] He has won the Red Bull 400 meter twice in a row.

Since mountain running sport is not recognized as an Olympic sports branch, he is complaining about not finding a sponsor for his active sports career.^[2]

Achievements

Year	Event	Host	Rank
Junior men's
2005	21st World Mountain Running Trophy	New Zealand, Wellington	4th[8]
Senior men's
2007	6th European Championships	France, Cauterets	Gold
2008	7th European Championships	Germany, Zell am Harmersbach	Gold
	24th World Mountain Running Trophy	Switzerland, Sierre	Bronze[9]
2009	8th European Championships	Austria, Telfes im Stubai	Gold
2010	9th European Championships	Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya	Gold[10]
	WMRA Grand Prix	Slovenia, Šmarna gora	Gold[5]
	26th WMRA World Championships	Slovenia, Kamnik	7th[11]
2011	6th Antalya Marathon	Turkey, Antalya	Gold
	10th European Championships	Turkey, Bursa	Gold[4]
	27th World Championships	Albania, Tirana	Silver
2012	11th European Championships	Turkey, Denizli	Gold[3]
2013	12th European Championships	Bulgaria, Borovets	Bronze[12]
2014	13th European Championships	France, Hautes-Alpes	8th[13]

Awards

• In July 2011, Ahmet Arslan was awarded the title European Athlete of the Month.

References

1. "Türkiye Dağ Koşusu Akseki' de koşuldu" (in Turkish). Abdil Ceylan. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2011-07-13.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
2. "Ahmet Arslan" (in Turkish). Federasyonlar. 2010-08-12. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
3. "Arslan reigns supreme again at the European Mountain Running Championships". European Athletics. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
4. "Turkey's Arslan lays claim to 'greatest' title after 5th straight victory". European Athletics. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
5. "Arslan and Mayr win in Slovenia and take WMRA Grand Prix titles". European Athletics. 2011-07-13. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24.
6. Hussain, Bashir (2011-09-13). USA double, as eleven nations take medals at the 27th World Mountain Running Championships. IAAF/WMRA. Retrieved on 2011-09-24.
7. Hobbs, Nancy (2012-05-18). Arslan and Belotti triumph at WMRA kick-off in Willer Sur Thur. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.
8. Osmond, David (2005-09-25). "The World Mountain Running Trophy" (PDF). R4YL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
9. "Adverse weather fails to dampen thrilling World Trophy". World Mountain Running Association. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
10. "Turkey's Arslan is Europe's best mountain runner for the fourth time". European Athletics. 2010-07-04. Archived from the original on 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
11. "Gasgazghi and Mayr take World Mountain Running titles in Kamnik". IAAF. 2010-09-06. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
12. "Wonderful 12. European Mountain Running Champs. 2013 at Borovets (Bulgaria):Italy and Turkey at top!". 6 July 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
13. "Men individual (12.8 km/750 m/62 participants)". Retrieved 17 June 2019.

External links

• Ahmet Arslan at World Athletics
• Ahmet Arslan at ARRS
• Ahmet Arslan at ITRA