Who is Sarah Sellers, the Boston Marathon Runner-Up?

In a day full of surprises, Sarah Sellers shocked the country.

On a day where American Desiree Linden shocked the country on her way to becoming the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985, runner-up Sarah Sellers arguably has the most compelling story. 

Sellers finished the race about four minutes behind Linden, but does not appear to be a professional runner. In fact, Sellers is a full-time nurse at the Banner Health Center in Arizona, her husband, Blake, told the Boston Globe on Monday, leading many to wonder who this surprise star is and where she came from.

Before today, I had never heard of Sarah Sellers. She has now finished second in Boston in a PB (!!!) of 2:44:05 in what was her second marathon to date.

— Jon Mulkeen (@Statman_Jon) April 16, 2018

Prior to Monday, Sellers had run in just one marathon, the Huntsville Marathon in Utah, which she won to qualify for Boston.

When she found out she placed second, "she still didn’t believe them,” her husband said. "She was in disbelief. It is quite an accomplishment. I was amazed."

Her husband revealed that Sellers had been training at 4 a.m. before work and hoped to qualify for the Olympic trials by placing in the top 15 of Boston's event. She attended Weber State University in Utah, the same school as NBA star Damian Lillard, where she competed in long-distance events. 

Although the day was full of surprises, Sellers proved to be one of the biggest of the day with her performance.