The track surface is very resilient, deforming slightly when you push down on it and then bouncing back when you stop pushing. The surface returns most of the runner's energy after each step on the track and thus doesn't slow the runner down as much as a dirt, gravel, or cinder track. If the runner were to run on a concrete track, the runner might well damage bones and tissue during each step because of the enormous forces involved in the impact. A softer track slows the accelerations and reduces the forces involved, thus avoiding injuries. That lifting uses energy that would otherwise be used for forward propulsion.
Bicyclists now use aerodynamically designed bicycles and clothing to minimize air drag.
If the first bicyclist doesn't experience any drag, then the air isn't being dragged along forward and the second bicyclist isn't experiencing any drag reduction. Use physics to explain why a tail wind gives a runner a time advantage. This diminished air resistance will help you to run faster. But if that air was already moving with you, you don't have to exert as much force on it to drag it along and are less taxed by the experience. You are consulting for a screenwriter who is working on a science-fiction movie about the crew of a large, intergalactic spaceship.