A valve operating mechanism for operating a pair of valves of an internal combustion engine, includes a camshaft rotatable in synchronism with rotation of the internal combustion engine and having a first low-speed cam, a second low-speed cam, and a high-speed cam which have different cam profiles, respectively, the first and second low-speed cams being disposed one on each side of the high-speed cam, a rocker shaft, and first, second, and third rocker arms rotatably mounted on the rocker shaft and held in sliding contact with the first low-speed cam, the second low-speed cam, and the high-speed cam, respectively, for operating the valves according to the cam profiles of the cams. A selective coupling is operatively disposed in and between the first, second, and third rocker arms for selectively interconnecting the first, second, and third rocker arms to allow angular movement thereof in unison and disconnecting the first, second, and third rocker arms to allow separate angular movement thereof.