Republicans view bandit runners as unwelcome intrusions who should be kept off the course. When you talk about the Boston Marathon, Republicans tend to endorse that race's policy of requiring that a qualifying standard be met before a runner can enter the race. Democrats, on the other hand, believe anyone can line up at the front of the race. Republicans prepare diligently for competitions, register early for races, but won't show up for the race if they're not in shape to run their best. On the starting line you'll notice that singlets bearing corporate logos are often worn by Republicans, whereas Democrats favor t-shirts emblazoned with slogans about social issues.
Republicans write their splits on their arms and run an even pace.
Democrats tend to go out fast, trailed by a pack of Republicans running even pace. The Republicans usually win the team scoring, as many of their runners finish ahead of Democrats. However, much to everyone's surprise, a Democrat often finishes first in the big race. Sometimes Republicans complain that their best runner didn't enter the race. You can even tell runners political leanings by the way they train.