Harry William Payne (5 September 1892 – 5 July 1969) 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.[1] He was born in Bedfordshire.

Payne (478) at the 1928 Summer Olympics

Athletics edit

On 26 May 1928, Payne debuted at the marathon distance and posted a fourth-place finish at the Polytechnic Marathon (2:54:50.8). Six weeks later on 6 July 1928, he won the Amateur Athletic Association's marathon championship in only his second marathon.[2] His performance of 2:34:34 set on the Polytechnic Marathon course was a new British record.[2] The following month, an injured Payne finished 13th in marathon at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam (2:42:29).

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.[nb 1]With this performance, Payne was ranked first in the marathon for 1929.[5][6]

He competed in the marathon at the 1930 British Empire Games for England.[7]

Personal life edit

He was a clerk at the time of the 1930 Games and lived in Woodford Green.[8]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The International Association of Athletics Federations does not indicate that Payne's mark was a world best performance;[3] however, it does appear as such in a similar list compiled by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "British Athletics Championships 1919-1939". Gbrathletics.com. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  2. ^ a b Martin, David E.; Roger W. H. Gynn (May 2000). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
  3. ^ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 565. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  4. ^ "World Best Progressions- Road". Arrs.net. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  5. ^ "World Marathon Rankings for 1929". Arrs.net. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Yearly Rankings- Marathon". Arrs.net. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  7. ^ "English athletes". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  8. ^ "UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 2 Sep 1930 Southampton". Ancestry.co.uk.