Good for them, but I have to wonder if they did so safely.
The first thing that comes to mind is how terribly unsafe (and aggravating) it is when cyclists pull up to the front of the line at red lights to the right of the cars there. I’ve always considered it the same as waiting until the very last minute to merge when a lane ends because of construction or other hazards.
I do know it can be done, however, and it’s not that hard.
Iowa City has a bike/bus/car race every year: Bike beats car and bus in annual race
I don’t filter in traffic, and I often beat cow-orkers to destinations like City Market, P&L District or the Freight House (by Union Station) when riding my bike from within the downtown loop to meet them for lunch. It’s not hard to do at all, while still obeying traffic laws.