The Dunedin runner overcame sickness during the week to deliver a 13min 46sec 5000m in Belfast yesterday.
That placed him fifth at the Belfast International Meeting, just a second behind Japan's Hazuma Hattori and Great Britain's Phil Sessemann.
The time moves him into fifth on the 2019 national rankings - jumping ahead of Nick Willis and Theo Quax.
It further improves the personal best he set two weeks ago in Belgium by six seconds.
When he left New Zealand a month-and-a- half ago, his personal best was 14min 11sec.
His trip to Europe leaves the national cross country title open.
Chignell won last year's senior men's title, as Otago was narrowly edged by Auckland for the teams title.
However, the province has several other contenders at tomorrow's race in Upper Hutt.
Last year's fifth-placed finisher Joshua Baan returns, as does 11th-placed Jacob Priddey.
In the senior women's race Rebekah Greene is a strong title chance, having finished third last year.
