While at Central High School, the last meet of his junior year Beatty convinced his coach to let him run the mile event.

Beatty went on to run track at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in English and had a minor in History.

In 1960, Beatty moved to California to train under Mihály Iglói and in July 1960, he won the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 5,000 meters event.

He became the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier on an indoor track, when he ran 3:58.9 on February 10, 1962, at the Los Angeles Invitational.

In his later years, Beatty flirted with a run for lieutenant-governor and a return to the general assembly, before dropping out, citing personal reasons.