Spotlight on Farah-Rupp duel at Chicago Marathon

CHICAGO: Mo Farah takes on former training partner and race rival Galen Rupp today at the Chicago Marathon as the British athletics great continues his quest to establish himself as a force in the ultimate distance event.

Farah, who twice achieved the 5,000m-10,000m Olympic double and also won world titles in both events in 2013 and 2015, will be running in just his third full marathon.

The Somali-born star finished third in London in April, despite twice making a mess of picking up his water bottle at the drink stations.

He’s hoping to iron out such technical difficulties as he eyes the European record of 2h 5min 48sec set by Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen in Fukuoka in December 2017.

“If I could win a major marathon, it’d be great,” Farah told Runner’s World. “I think the aim is to try not to make as many mistakes — like, pick up my drink bottles!

“For me satisfaction will be to run a personal best. Second, if I can’t do that, a great result will be a win or mixing with the guys and seeing where it comes up at the end,” added Farah, who noted the Chicago field includes several athletes who have clocked 2:04.

That includes Ethiopians Mosinet Geremew (2:04:00) and Birhanu Legese 2:04:15) and Kenyan Dickson Chumba (2:04.32).

But the potential showdown between Rupp and Farah, who once trained together in Oregon under Alberto Salazar, is an intriguing story line.

Rupp still trains with Salazar, while Farah has been working with Gary Lough — husband of British star Paula Radcliffe — since switching to road racing a year ago.

“I have never been in such good shape to run so fast,” said Rupp, who might well need to better the American record of 2:05:38 — held by Khalid Khannouchi — to win.

The women’s race will see twotime champion Florence Kiplagat of Kenya make her return to competition after dropping out of last year’s Chicago Marathon with a muscular injury.