Richard John Tayler (born 12 August 1948) is a former New Zealand runner who mostly competed in distances from 1500 m to 10,000 m. Tayler was born in Timaru, and attended Timaru Boys' High, the same school as Jack Lovelock. He is best known for winning the 10,000 metres at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, in a time of 27:46.4, breaking the New Zealand record. Tayler competed at the 1970 and 1974 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 1972 Summer Olympics. He finished 12th at the 1st IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Waregem, Belgium, 1973. Arthritis cut short Tayler's running career. In the 2014 New Year Honours, Tayler was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics.