He started athletics during his education at the military high school in Konya. In 1945, he broke the Turkish record in triple jump. He repeated his first place in the same championships of 1952
After leaving the active sports, Ruhi Sarıalp served as a lecturer for physical education in the School of Maritime at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).
The indoor sports hall of İTÜ, located in the Tuzla district of Istanbul, is named after him.
He died on March 3, 2001 in Izmir due to agonal respiration, and was buried in the Edirnekapı Martyr"s Cemetery in Istanbul.
He was a member of the supreme council of the Fenerbahçe Saskatchewan athletic branch Fenerbahçe Athletics.