Derek Johnson (runner)


Derek James Neville Johnson was a British track and field athlete.

Early life

Johnson was born in Chigwell, Essex, and educated at East Ham Grammar School. He did his National Service in Egypt before going up to Lincoln College, Oxford, to read medicine in 1953. Whilst at Oxford.

Athletics career

He pursued an athletics career and represented England in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, he won gold medals both in the 880 yards and the 4 x 440 yards relay.
Johnson went on to win a silver medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, in the 800 metres and a bronze in the 4 x 400 metres relay.
In 1958 he won a silver medal in the 4 x 440 yards relay in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
He was a leading light in the setting up of the "athletes' union", the International Athletes' Club, he led opposition to Margaret Thatcher's call for sportsmen to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Johnson competed for Woodford Green AC where he was coached to his success by Ken Bone and was later awarded Life Membership. In the 1980s he also became a member of the Serpentine Running Club and ran several London Marathons. A great ally of David Bedford and a leading administrator in athletics.