1. Tina is a much better tennis player than Mary. She ran circles around Mary in the tennis match yesterday.
2. I’m not very good at math and science. Most people run circles around me in those two subjects.

Compare to: head and shoulders above; not hold a candle to (someone). The expression suggests someone who can move quickly around another person, leaving him dazed or sluggishly stuck in the middle. Whereas run circles around someone means to outperform someone (usually physically), head and shoulders above someone usually refers to a person’s character or inner qualities.