to run rings around

[possopo]

Ronaldo and Pauleta have already shown that they can run rings around these ah Spaniards.

can someone tell me what the expression "to run rings around smb" means?

[mykwyner]

Imagine a foot race where one competitor is so much faster than another that he can literally run in circles around the other runner and still win the race.

[riverkid]

Ronaldo and Pauleta have already shown that they can run rings around these ah Spaniards.
can someone tell me what the expression "to run rings around smb" means?

It means to be so far ahead of someone, talent wise, in this case, so much better a soccer player, that before one of the Spaniards could even move, the other two soccer players could run around them a number of times.