George Derek Ibbotson MBE (17 June 1932 – 23 February 2017) was an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s.

[1] Ibbotson was born on 17 June 1932 in Huddersfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and studied at King James's Grammar School, Almondbury.

He was of the generation that included other great British 'milers' (1 mile running specialists) such as Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher and Christopher Chataway.

[2][3] Ibbotson soldiered on and in 1960, in a bid to enter the Rome Olympics, he copied Gordon Pirie who, when he was struggling for form, increased his racing and took part in shorter races than usual, because it was good speed training.

[4] He was one of many signatories in a letter to The Times on 17 July 1958 opposing the policy of apartheid in international sport and defending 'the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games'.

[6] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours for services to athletics.

A qualified electrical engineer, he worked initially for the Coal Board but later was employed in sales, latterly as an executive and agent for Puma, the sportswear company.