To answer this question, let's analyze the scenario given.
The question states that the third challenger surpasses you. This means that you were ahead of the third challenger before being surpassed.
Based on this information, we can conclude that your position before being surpassed was the second position.
Let's go through each option to understand why it is correct or incorrect:
Option A) fourth - This option is incorrect because it suggests that you were behind the third challenger, which contradicts the given information.
Option B) third - This option is incorrect because it suggests that you were at the same position as the third challenger, which also contradicts the given information.
Option C) second - This option is correct because it suggests that you were ahead of the third challenger, which aligns with the given information.
Option D) first - This option is incorrect because it suggests that you were leading the race, which is not consistent with the fact that you were surpassed by the third challenger.
The correct answer is C) second. This option is correct because it correctly identifies your position before being surpassed by the third challenger.