There are 25 people competing in a race. In how many ways can they finish in first and second place?
A. 49
B. 400
C. 600
D. 625
There are 25 choices for first place, and once that person is chosen, there are 24 choices left for second place. Therefore, the total number of ways they can finish in first and second place is:
$25 \cdot 24 = 600$
So the answer is $\boxed{\textbf{(C) }600}$.