Mike Keogh competed in the men’s 5,000 metres at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, finishing 5th in his heat in 13:57.8 – one of the more impressive heat performances by an Irish distance runner at those Games.

Born in Midleton, Co. Cork, he was seven years old when his family emigrated to New Jersey. He became one of the outstanding schoolboy athletes in the USA and won an athletics scholarship to Manhattan College.

In June 1972 he won the AAU 5,000m title in 13:51.4 and a week later in Portland, Oregon ran 13:46.8 – over a second inside the Olympic qualifying standard.

He returned to Cork for the national championships, winning the 5,000m title and finishing second in the 1,500m in his first appearances on an Irish track. At Munich, competing in a heat that included Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia and Dave Bedford of Great Britain, Keogh finished 5th in 13:57.8.