The appropriate pronoun to replace 'the runners' is 'they,' as it correctly reflects the plural subject of the sentence. Other options like 'them,' 'their,' and 'there' do not fit the grammatical structure. Thus, the final choice is option A, 'they.'
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To replace 'the runners' in the sentence, the most appropriate pronoun is 'they.' This option effectively maintains the meaning while addressing the plural subject. Other choices do not fit the context or grammatical structure of the sentence. ;