Paul Donovan won a bronze medal at the inaugural World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis in 1987 in the 3,000 metres, and competed at two Olympic Games – the 1984 Los Angeles Games (1,500 metres) and the 1992 Barcelona Games (5,000 metres).

From Cork, Donovan enrolled at the University of Arkansas in September 1981, out of athletic shape after a summer of relative inactivity. As legendary coach John McDonnell observed, Paul had ice water in his veins when it came to racing, but was a little laid back in training.

He prospered at Arkansas and a personal best of 3:38.04 in the 1984 NCAA 1,500m guaranteed his Olympic selection. A third-place finish in the mile at the Cork City Sports on 3 July in a personal best of 3:55.82, followed by a head-to-head with Marcus O’Sullivan at Santry, confirmed his fitness for Los Angeles, where he finished fourth in his 1,500m heat and was eliminated.

At the 1992 Barcelona Games he competed in the 5,000 metres, finishing tenth in his heat.