A pacesetter is someone who is in the lead during part of a race or competition and therefore decides the speed or standard of the race or competition for that time.
Their victory keeps them five points behind the pacesetters.
Hammond was the early pace-setter.
2. countable noun
A pacesetter is a person or a company that is considered to be the leader in a particular field or activity.
They were the pacesetter for political change in the region. [+ for]
pacesetter in British English
(ˈpeɪsˌsɛtə)
noun
another word for pacemaker (sense 1), pacemaker (sense 2)