On 26 May 1928, Payne debuted at the marathon distance and posted a fourth-place finish at the Polytechnic Marathon (2:54:508). 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 (2:42:29).
At the 1929 American Automobile Association 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.