Read the excerpt from “Raymond's Run.” And I’m smiling to beat the band cause if I’ve lost this race, or if me and Gretchen tied, or even if I’ve won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion. After all, with a little more study I can beat Cynthia and her phony self at the spelling bee. And if I bugged my mother, I could get piano lessons and become a star. What theme is best illustrated in this excerpt? It is best to put family ahead of self. Being the best at everything is important. Believing in oneself opens up many possibilities. The purpose of any competition is to win.