In the context of competitions, a race always necessarily has which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
Reasoning questions of this type ask you to identify an essential component of a situation rather than something that is common but optional. Here the situation is a race, which is a form of competition in sports or other fields. You must decide which listed feature must always be present whenever a real race takes place.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The word race refers to a competitive event where participants try to outperform one another, commonly by speed. - The options provided are prize, victory, rivals, and referee. - The question uses the word always, which means we must find a condition that is necessary in every race, not just in most races.

Concept / Approach:
The core idea of a race is competition between two or more participants. Without competitors, there is no race. Other features such as a prize, an official referee or even a clear victory may be present in many races but are not logically required. Therefore, the essential element is the presence of rivals, that is, people or teams competing against each other. The correct choice will reflect this fundamental characteristic.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think of a very simple race, such as two children running to a tree. Step 2: In this basic race, they are clearly competing against each other. They act as rivals because each wants to reach the goal first. Step 3: Now ask which options must be present even in this simplest race. There may be no official prize; the children might just run for fun. Step 4: Victory is almost always present, but there can be a tie where no single clear winner emerges, yet it still counts as a race. Step 5: There may be no referee at all. Informal races often happen without any official supervising person. Step 6: However, the presence of rivals or competitors is unavoidable. Without at least two participants competing, the very idea of a race disappears. Step 7: Therefore, among the given options, rivals is the only element that is truly necessary for a race to exist.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine trying to define a race without rivals. If only one person runs alone against time, we generally call it a time trial, training run or practice, not a race, unless there is a comparison with another competitor or record. On the other hand, you can easily imagine races without prizes or referees, for example informal running races in a park. This mental check confirms that rivals is the correct essential component.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Prize: Many races, especially informal or friendly ones, have no prize at all, yet they are still genuine races. Victory: A race can result in a tie where no single participant is declared the winner, but it is still a race. Referee: In many small or informal events, participants supervise themselves without an official referee.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often focus on what they usually see on television sports events, where prizes, trophies and referees are common. That can cause them to confuse typical features with logically necessary ones. The safe strategy is to strip the situation down to its simplest form and check what remains indispensable. Whenever you see the word always in a question, think carefully about the most minimal version of the scenario.

Final Answer:
A race always necessarily has rivals, that is, competitors.