prerace
adjective
pre·race ˌprē-ˈrās 
variants or pre-race
: of, occurring in, or done in the time before a race
prerace training
beat the prerace favorite
… I have to admit that I've got a case of prerace jitters right now. I want to win. After all, I've trained my whole career for this.
Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi
Word History
First Known Use
1912, in the meaning defined above