Derrick Peterson

Derrick Peterson is a retired American middle-distance runner born on November 28, 1977, in Waycross, Georgia. Raised in Atlanta's suburbs, he specialized in the 800 metres and represented the USA at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.

Peterson dominated collegiately at the University of Missouri, winning nine Big 12 championships at 800 metres and becoming the first conference athlete undefeated in a single event from freshman to senior year. In 1999, he won both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, setting the American collegiate record of 1:45.88 indoors. He was the 2002 USA Indoor Champion and won medals at the 1999 and 2001 Summer Universiades.

After competing, Peterson became a coach at his alma mater Missouri and later helped establish track programs at Columbia College and DePaul University, where he assisted in winning two Big East championships. In high school at Lovejoy High School, Georgia, he won three state championships in the 1600m and 3200m.