A contest to see who can run a set distance fastest; a race or sprint. Also used for races of animals or vehicles. Can be used as a suru-verb (競走する).
陸上部は毎年市の競走大会に出場している。
The track team participates in the city's running competitions every year.
子どもたちは運動会で百メートル競走に出た。
The children ran in the 100-meter race at the sports day.
競走馬は速いが、最後まで粘る力も必要だ。
Racehorses are fast, but they also need stamina to hold on until the end.