Speed set aside, not having the same start is among the most discouraging thoughts. There is also the problem of Where to move. Imagine what lies ahead of us as not simply a linear track but as something like a chessboard. Even moving backwards could be the possible solution in some situations.
Another thought... I have recently used in fiction the so called paradox of Achilles and the Turtle. It states that Achilles couldn't possibly reach the turtle that has some head start on him because during the time it takes for him to travel the distance, the turtle has moved a little bit further. And then, there is a new distance between them. During the time Achilles covers that new distance, the turtle would still have moved a little bit further, creating yet another new distance between them and so on and so on.
What that story does not take into account is that time in it declines towards zero in each new segment. (I am not sure if I had used the proper terms in English for that last statement.)
I think it is not such a bad thing because it gives more chance for variation, randomness and potential to find niches. It also means that we are more likely to need each other to create complex projects.
Is this the same as the arrow that can never reach the target by halving the distance?
I agree it is not bad, I just point it out as something of a barrier in the minds of many. We've built lots of artificial barriers.
Yes, the arrow story is the same.