Larkins was educated at St Joseph's College in Geelong, where he was highly regarded and respected as a cheerful and down to earth person. He was very good at sport at school as well as being prominent in the school cadet unit. He later became a prominent track and field athlete who represented Australia in the steeplechase at the 1976 Summer Olympics 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1981 World Cup. He won the national 3000 m steeplechase championships every year from 1976 to 1983, except for 1982 when he came second.