It is less vivid; "raced after" emits a feeling of either action, suspense, or energy. It allows the reader to connect and fully understand what is going on. "ran after" is vague and emits little high energy.
I would say that this sentence contains examples of colloquialism.
Colloquialism is <span>a word or phrase that is not formal or literary and is used in ordinary or familiar conversation.</span>
Answer:
"Suddenly the evidence overwhelmed me: there was no longer any reason to live, any reason to fight" and "Father! Father! Wake up. They're going to throw you outside."
