Definition

Noun: A competition of speed where participants run on foot. A foot race is a contest to determine who can cover a specified distance in the shortest time.

Usage

The term "foot race" is used to describe organized running competitions, from informal sprints to formal track and field events. It specifies that the mode of locomotion is running, as opposed to other types of races (e.g., horse race, boat race).

Examples

• The school's annual field day featured a 100-meter foot race.
• The ancient Olympics included several foot races as core events.
• It turned into a foot race to see who could reach the finish line first.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a foot race against time": This idiom uses the concept of a foot race metaphorically to describe a situation where one must complete a task very quickly before a deadline.
  • The rescue team was in a foot race against time to find the survivors.

Variants and Related Words

• Race (n): A general competition of speed. A foot race is a specific type of race.
• Run (n): Often used interchangeably with "foot race" for shorter distances (e.g., "a 5k run").
• Sprint (n): A very short, fast foot race.
• Marathon (n): A specific type of long-distance foot race (42.195 km).

Synonyms

• Running race
• Dash
• Footrace (as a single, compound word variant)

Related Phrases

• "to win/lose a foot race": To finish first or not first in such a competition.
  • She trained for months to win the foot race.
• "a close foot race": A race where the competitors finish with very little time between them.
  • It was a close foot race, decided by a fraction of a second.

Noun

1. a race run on foot
   • she broke the record for the half-mile run