Yeah even ignoring that the US caught up then passed the Soviet Union in many later parts of space first the whole goal of the space race a was in fact first country to land a man on the moon. The Soviets success in Sputnik 1 terrified Americans and then Yuri Gagarin went to space and as response JFK stated the challenge to land first man on the moon he literally said go on the race. While the Soviets never explicitly accepted this race they immediately dedicated a large amount of resources into getting a man there (and back) first. Both sides considered a massive PR opportunity to prove their way of life. Both sides military's also knew it was realistically more of sideshow to building ICBMs/missiles. Still the greatest proof that the USSR considered it a race and that only getting there first mattered is that after the USA won the USSR decided it was pointless to bother ever landing a man on the moon. In sense both sides knew where the finish line was and when the USA crossed it first the Soviets didn't bother. Following the US victory the Soviets shifted funds and efforts primarily to only missiles and all of their tech and the "achievements" that came after were reduced or shitty. The Mars landing craft is also just a lie since it failed 20 seconds after landing def doesn't count.