The Rising Stars: Mo Farah and Galen Rupp

These elite runners and friends had several record-breaking performances this year.

December 5, 2011

Since becoming training partners in February 2011 under coach Alberto Salazar, Mo Farah and Galen Rupp have unleashed record-breaking performances. Farah, a Somali-born Brit, won 13 of 16 races, and captured silver in the 10,000 meters and gold in the 5000 at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in South Korea. Rupp, an American running sensation since high school, won the 10,000 at the USA Outdoor Championships, set a U.S. indoor record for the 5000 (13:11.44), and then destroyed the American record for the 10,000 meters when he ran 26:48 in Brussels.

As competitors vying for the same podium, it's hard to believe Farah, 28, and Rupp, 25, can maintain more than a working relationship. But they have become inseparable. "Many people think, 'Oh yeah, Galen's just a rival,'" says Farah. "But I don't see him as anything other than a friend." Indeed, they share more than a love of running. Both married their longtime sweethearts in 2010, and chose the same song for their first dance—"Differences" by Ginuwine. They spend hours playing online soccer—Farah's Arsenal versus Rupp's Manchester United. And they both like to lie down and chill on the grass before a major race (as they did at Worlds). "I think of myself as a pretty laid-back person," says Rupp. "But he is by far the most relaxed and easygoing guy I've ever met."

Their buddy system may help them navigate the coming Olympic year. Farah is hounded by the British media and favored to medal in both the 5000 and the 10,000 meters. Rupp has a solid chance of making the American team in both events. In dealing with that kind of pressure, they have a rare edge: the camaraderie and support of a friendship forged over thousands of miles.