Recently crowned European mountain running champion,Ahmet Arslan is seeking to become the first European man to win the men’s title and the accompanying $50,000 top prize when the 7th Obudu international mountain race is flagged of on Monday November 28 at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu,Cross River state.

Arslan,who won the European title for the fifth time last month in Bursa,Turkey was also crowned the world mountain running association overall grand prix winner barely weeks after picking the silver medal at the 27th World Mountain Running Championships in Tirana, Albania.

The Turks,who has already confirmed his participation at this year’s race will be banking on his form and pedigree to outrun his African adversaries,mainly Kenyans and Ethiopians who have been dominating the scene after Australia’s Ben Dubois won the inaugural title in 2005.

His main foe will however be Ethiopia’s two-time winner,Abebe Dinkesa who will also be hoping to become the first man to make it a hat-trick of titles at the prestigious event after equalling his countryman,Habtamu Fikadu’s feat of winning the tiutle twice.

Sir William Archibong,head of the Local Organising Committee for the race is excited at having,once again,the best mountain runners in the world asemble in Obudu for what has become the best mountain race in the world in terms of the price money and quality of the field.

’We at the LOC are very delighted that a mountain running legend and five-time European champion will be competing at the 7th Obudu mountain race.This is a confirmation of the growing popularity of the race the world-over as well as the confidence the world mountain running family has in our ability to organise a world class event’,said Archibong.

Patrick Ugbe,the Honourable Commissioner for Information in Cross River state also expressed delight at the coming of Arslan and heaped plaudits on senator Liyel Imoke,the Cross River state governor for providing the LOC the support and the enabling environment for the race.

’His Excellency has been the pillar behind the successes we have recorded so far.He has made the race one of the most anticipated races in the calendar of the world mountain running association.He is leaving no stone unturned at ensuring that the Obudu Ranch hosts the 30th edition of the World Mountain Running Championships in 2014′,revealed Ugbe.

The Obudu International Mountain Race is an annual 11.25 km mountain running competition which has the largest total prize-money available of any mountain race and is known as “the world’s richest mountain race”.The men’s and women’s competition winners receive US$50,000 each,and there is a total prize pot $278,000.

The combination of the distance of the race and the rewards on offer means that it attracts world-class road running athletes as well as mountain running athletes.The race which was devised as a means of raising awareness of Obudu Cattle Ranch – a tourist resort is an associate member race of the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) and is also endorsed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The course begins at a height of 800 m above sea level and as it traces a path towards the summit of Mount Obudu it climbs a further 800 m, with the finishing point of the race being a total 1600 m above sea level.