I worked the finish line at a big high school meet and enjoyed the hell out of the way the JV kids celebrated their finishes. It was a great time to appreciate the efforts of the non-winners.
Cheetah Finish: Some kid, running around 23 minutes, came galloping in on his hands and feet like a cheetah. He didn't seem to be doing it as a gag for his friends. He seemed to do it for himself. When he finished he just stood up and entered the chute.
Stolen Finish: Two guys battled back and forth in the freshman race all the way to the finish line. Runner A had Runner B beat and raised his arms in victory but Runner C snuck up on both of them and stole the victory. There was an actual finish tape which made this whole scene more dramatic.
Jumping on Home Plate: Every race had a kid that jumped on the finishing mat the way you would after hitting a game winning home run.
Arms Raised in the Middle of the Pack: Some kids were so happy to celebrate the end of the race or a PR that there periodic finishes with raised arms.
JV Kick: And of course every race had lone bursts of speed from the back of the packers.