Brian Sell
Encyclopedia
Brian Sell is a retired American marathoner and distance runner (born April 11, 1978) who trained with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
. He attended Saint Francis University
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
, where he ran on the Saint Francis University cross country
team. He 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.
Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
The Hansons-Brooks Distance project is an OD program, for post-collegiate athletes. It has produced a number of notable professional runners. The most recent success is that of Brian Sell who finished third in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City, November 3, 2007.-External links:* *...
. He attended Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular...
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is officially part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area as recognized by the US Census Bureau, but local sources list it as part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania area due to its proximity to...
, where he ran on the Saint Francis University cross country
Saint Francis University cross country
Saint Francis University cross country is an NCAA Division I athletic program, competing in the Northeast Conference. The team's fans call it "The Red Flash." Brian Sell, a 2008 Olympian, had earlier been on the team.-2009:...
team. He placed third overall in the 2008 USA Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Team Trials Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on November 3, 2007, with a time of 2:11:40, earning him a spot, along with Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall (runner)
Ryan Hall is an American long distance runner. He won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials and placed tenth in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. He holds the U.S. record in the half marathon . With his half marathon record time, he became the first U.S...
and Dathan Ritzenhein
Dathan Ritzenhein
Dathan Ritzenhein is an American long-distance runner. He held the American record in the 5,000 metres from 2009–10, when it was broken by Bernard Lagat...
, on the U.S. men's marathon team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, 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 CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
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 Shamrock Shuffle
- 2005 - 2nd at USATF Championships 10 mile (road)
- 2005 - 1st place USATF 25K
- 2005 - Member of the USATF World Championships marathon team
- 2006 - 1st place US Half Marathon
- 2006 - 4th place Boston MarathonBoston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
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 MarathonChicago MarathonThe Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
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
Personal best times
- 3000M – 8:07 (3/02)
- 3K Steeple - 8:52 (4/01)
- 5K - 13:59 (1/02)
- 8K Road - 22:57.7 (4/03)
- 10K - 28:28 (11/05)
- 20K – 59:18 (9/03)
- ½ Marathon - 1:02:36 (1/09)
- Marathon - 2:10:47 (10/06)