If I remember correctly this is the third time that letsrun.com has posted a headline about a race, underneath which they have a sentence stating that Nan Kennard was a surprise third. I am sure that Nan doesn't mind, but when are people going to stop being surprised?
3rd - US Half Marathon Championships
3rd - USATF Club Cross Country Nationals
3rd - Baltimore Marathon
3rd - Cow Harbor 10k
3rd - US 20k Championships
If I am correct, the only people that have beaten her in any of these races are either US Olympic hopefuls, or foreigners.
If you are curious, Nan has a running blog as well, which details her training. You can look at races by clicking on the Nan's races link at the top of the page. And yes, there are races where Nan doesn't place third.