# Ahmet Arslan (athlete)

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

## Biography

He was born in 1986 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.
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.
From 2007 on, Ahmet Arslan won the European championships seven times in a row. In 2010, he won the gold medal also at the WMRA Grand Prix. He was the silver medallist at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships, coming second behind American Max King. 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. He has won the Red Bull 400 several times between 2011 and 2019. 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.
He also coaches her spouse Yasemin Can Arslan, a long-distance runner. Eraly January 2020, the Red Bull athlete announced that he retired from active sport.

## Achievements

| Year | Event | Host | Rank |
| Junior men's ||||
| 2005 | 21st World Mountain Running Trophy | New Zealand, Wellington | 4th |
| Senior men's ||||
| 2007 | 6th European Championships | France, Cauterets | |
| 2008 | 7th European Championships | Germany, Zell am Harmersbach | |
| 2008 | 24th World Mountain Running Trophy | Switzerland, Sierre | |
| 2009 | 8th European Championships | Austria, Telfes im Stubai | |
| 2010 | 9th European Championships | Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya | |
| 2010 | WMRA Grand Prix | Slovenia, Šmarna gora | |
| 2010 | 26th WMRA World Championships | Slovenia, Kamnik | 7th |
| 2011 | 6th Antalya Marathon | Turkey, Antalya | |
| 2011 | 10th European Championships | Turkey, Bursa | |
| 2011 | 27th World Championships | Albania, Tirana | |
| 2011 | 1st Red Bull 400 | Austria Bad Mitterndorf | |
| 2012 | 11th European Championships | Turkey, Denizli | |
| 2012 | 3rd Red Bull 400 | Slovenia Planica | - |
| 2013 | 4th Red Bull 400 | Slovenia Planica | |
| 2013 | 5th Red Bull 400 | Austria Tauplitz Bad Mitterndorf | |
| 2013 | 12th European Championships | Bulgaria, Borovets | |
| 2014|- | 7th Red Bull 400 | Austria Tauplitz Bad Mitterndorf | |
| 2014|- | 13th European Championships | France, Hautes-Alpes | 8th |
| 2015 | 12th Red Bull 400 | Czech Republic, Harrachov | |
| 2015 | 13th Red Bull 400 | Austria, Bischofshofen | |
| 2015 | 14th Red Bull 400 | Slovenia, Planica | |
| 15th Red Bull 400 | United States, Park City | |
| 2016 | 16th Red Bull 400 | Kazakhstan, Almaty | |
| 2016 | 18th Red Bull 400 | Germany, Titisee-Neustadt | |
| 2016 | 22nd Red Bull 400 | Slovenia, Planica | |
| 2016 | 32nd World Championships | Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya | |
| 2017 | 24th Red Bull 400 | Kazakhstan, Almaty | |
| 2017 | 25th Red Bull 400 | Turkey, Erzurum | |
| 2017 | 31st Red Bull 400 | Germany, Titisee-Neustadt | |
| 2018 | 46th Red Bull 400 | Germany, Titisee-Neustadt | |
| 2019 | 54th Red Bull 400 | Kazakhstan, Almaty | |

## Awards

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