Harry Payne

Who was Harry Payne?

Harry William Payne was a British long-distance runner who competed in the marathon at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam and was a two-time national champion.

On 26 May 1928, Payne debuted at the marathon distance and posted a fourth place finish at the Polytechnic Marathon. Six weeks later on 6 July 1928, he won the Amateur Athletic Association's marathon championship in only his second marathon. His performance of 2:34:34 set on the Polytechnic Marathon course was a new British record. The following month, an injured Payne finished 13th in marathon at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

At the 1929 AAA championships, Payne's 2:30:57.6 mark would earn him a second consecutive title and recapture the British marathon record from Sam Ferris - a mark that would stand for 22 years.With this performance, Payne was ranked first in the marathon for 1929.