Derek Clayton

Who is Derek Clayton?

Derek Clayton is a former Australian long-distance runner, born in Cumbria, England and raised in Northern Ireland.

Clayton set a marathon world best in the Fukuoka Marathon, Japan on 3 December 1967 in 2:09:36.4, in what is considered a classic race, the first marathon race ever run in less than two hours and ten minutes.

He went on to break this time in Antwerp on 30 May 1969 by more than a minute, this time stood as the world best for nearly another 12 years. His personal best time of 2:08:33.6 is still a world class marathon time. Clayton represented Australia at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing in 7th place. Four years later he finished up in 13th place in the same event.

Clayton was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1999.