Question

use a pronoun to avoid repeating words, if possible.
pugsley addams and the runner decided to race. i agreed to judge they in case it was a close call.

Explanation:

The word "they" is used as the object of the verb "judge", so it needs to be in the objective case. The objective form of the third-person plural pronoun is "them".

Answer:

Pugsley Addams and the runner decided to race. I agreed to judge them in case it was a close call.