Brian Sell

Running career

High school Sell attended Northern Bedford High School, where he participated in multiple sports. In addition to running he was a wrestler as well as a wide receiver on the football team, and did not join the track team until his sophomore year. His best track times by the end of his senior year were 4:28 (min:sec) in the 1600-meter and 10:06 in the 3200-meter.

Collegiate Sell began at Messiah College, then transferred to study at Saint Francis University, where his athletic career reached new heights. He represented SFU at the 2000 NCAA Division I XC Championships, where he ran the 10K in 31:17.1 and was a two time All-American.

Post-collegiate Sell placed third overall in the 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Central Park, New York City on November 3, 2007, with a time of 2:11:40, earning him a spot, along with Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein, on the U.S. men's marathon team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he finished the Olympic Marathon in 22nd place with a time of 2:16:7.

Sell ran the 2009 New York Marathon, which he and his coach have indicated was his last competitive race.

Achievement chronology 2002 – 3rd at USATF Fall Cross Country Championships 2002 – Chiba Ekiden Relay Team 2002 – 8th at USATF Championships 10K (road) 2002 – 8th at USATF Championships 8K (road) 2002 – 4th at USATF Championships 7 mile (road) 2003 – 13th at USA 2004 Olympic Trials Marathon (after leading through 21 miles) 2003 – 25th at IAAF World Half Marathon Championships (1st American) 2003 – 2nd at USATF Championships 20K (road) (5th fastest American 20k time ever 59:18) 2003 – 8th at USATF Championships 8K (road) 2004/2005 – 1st place LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 2005 – 2nd at USATF Championships 10 mile (road) 2005 – 1st place USATF 25K 2005 – 9th at World Championships marathon, Helsinki, Finland 2006 – 1st place USA Half Marathon Championships 2006 – 4th place Boston Marathon in a PR 2:10:55 2006 – Reed’s Lake 10K Champion 29:02 2006 – Chicago Distance Classic Champion 1:04:25 2006 – 6th place Chicago Marathon in a PR 2:10:47 2007 – 1st place Sauder's Egg Run 2007 – 1st place USATF 25K Championships 2007 – 3rd place USA 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon (qualifying for Olympic team) 2008 – 1st place Miami Half Marathon, 1:03:46 2008 – 22nd place, 3rd American at the Men's Olympic Marathon, 2:16:07 2008 – 1st place Rock 'n Roll San Antonio Half Marathon, 1:02:50 2009 – 5th place 2009 USA Half Marathon Championships, 1:02:36