I personally found these the hardest of the mini-games, not so hard that I wanted to pull my hair out but certainly more aggravating than the other 2 types.
Patience is key to the Trace Route games, sometimes you'll pull them off first time without the slightest bit of hassle, other times you'll find you're constantly bashing into walls or making other small mistakes which cost you the "race", however as there's no real consequence for losing, just keep at it and eventually you'll know the "track" well enough to know what to expect and the best places to deploy your power ups.
Here are few tips you may find useful;
• Try to make good use of the boost pads but don't overstretch yourself, as great as they are for getting a quick boost forward they're not essential, they're incredibly handy and a great asset
• Use your power ups in "optimal" places, if you're going through a small gap, lay down the trap which will slow the enemies down, don't not use them but it's a good idea to have at least 2 of the boost power ups for the last stretch, just to help ensure victory!
• The enemies are coded with an "elastic band" effect, which means even if you're a full minute ahead they'll just catch up faster, try not to get too annoyed by this because it also works for you in the same way, if you fall behind you'll catch up again!
I've linked in some videos which break down the pathways and show you which mini-games you can expect to get on each path!
* Credit to RoosterTeeth for the videos