Payne (24), a solicitor, was a member of the Caversham club when he was in Dunedin. He now runs for the Wesley club in Auckland.
He won his first New Zealand senior title in the marathon in Auckland last year. His best time of 2hr 28min 59sec was run on the flat Christchurch course last year when he finished fourth.
His running has blossomed since he arrived in Auckland and he was a member of the Wesley club team that finished third in the national road relay last year.
His best half-marathon time is 1hr 10min 2sec, which he ran in Christchurch last month when he finished 15th. That time ranks him 13th in the country this year.
He won the New Zealand junior men's 10,000m title when he represented Otago.
Payne started running at King's High School and was a member of the Caversham club for seven years before shifting to Auckland.
