About John Kelly
Lived 1929 – 2012 (aged 82). John Kelly was an Irish athletics competitor.
John Kelly (6 December 1929 – 13 November 2012) was an Irish racewalker, marathon runner, and actor. He competed in the men's 50 kilometres walk at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
John Kelly was born in Loughmore, a village in County Tipperary, Ireland.
Kelly won the 1965 Philadelphia Marathon, finishing the race in a time of 2:37:23 during a snowstorm.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he was a member of various track and field athletics clubs, including the Amateur Athletic Union, Southern California Striders and the Santa Monica Track Club.
In the 1970s Kelly became a member of the Screen Actors Guild and appears briefly in the musical film Star!, starring Julie Andrews and Richard Crenna. In September 1973, he was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
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Important facts
People in John Kelly's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Kelly's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Kelly?
racewalker (1929-2012)
When was John Kelly born?
John Kelly was born on 6 December 1929.
When did John Kelly die?
John Kelly died on 13 November 2012.
What was John Kelly's occupation?
John Kelly was an athletics competitor.
What nationality was John Kelly?
John Kelly was Irish.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: John Kelly (race walker)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Kelly. https://biography.guide/john-kelly-athletics-competitor/
MLA: "John Kelly." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-kelly-athletics-competitor/.
Chicago: "John Kelly." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-kelly-athletics-competitor/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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