Oh, I get it now. And okay, I admit it, I shared OP's sentiment the first time I did it, I think in 1979. I was about 30 miles into a 45 mile ride, chugging up a long steep hill on my yellow Raleigh Record, and I passed a guy on a Paramount. See, I remember it clearly after all this time, I thought I was pretty tough! I was seventeen at the time.
Very few cyclists around here to pass or be passed, but not too long ago, I was leisurely spinning up a steep hill and a jogger pulled alongside me.
Turns out he had just entered the road maybe 200 yards back, but we had a nice conversation until the hill crested...then I dropped the hammer on him (i.e. my weight carried me down the hill faster than he could run).