| NIPANDTUCK | Close or almost even in a race or competition (3,3,4) |
| ENTRANT | One taking part in a race or competition |
| CLEANSWEEP | An instance of conceding no goals or points in a match or competition (5,5) |
| RUNNERUP | A contestant finishing a race or competition in second place (6-2) |
| RUNNERSUP | Contestants finishing a race or competition in second place (7-2) |
| SIXTYFORTY | Almost even |
| NEXTDOORTO | A neighbour -- or almost (4,4,2) |
| SCRUTINEER | One who supervises the conduct of an election or competition (10) |
| FASTENINGS | Devices that close or secure (10) |
| MARK | A boundary indicator; a symbol such as an X in place of a signature; the start line in a race; or, a target (4) |
| SECOND | A sexagesimal division of a minute; the "silver" place in a race; or, from "follow", a word for an assistant, such as that of a boxer, duellist or sixer (6) |
| FIRST | Ordinal number denoting a top Oxbridge degree or a car's lowest gear; the foremost position in a race; or, a book's earliest edition (5) |
| PRESS | To flatten flowers, perhaps under or in a book, or even in a ___! (5) |
| LENGTH | Span of a horse from nose to tail as a measure of the lead in a race; or, the distance of a swimming pool from one end to the other (6) |
| HEAT | Spicy quality of a chilli; preliminary eliminating round in a race; or, a form of thermal or kinetic energy (4) |
| ALSORAN | A loser by a wide margin in a race or other contest (4,3) |
| ONSERVE | Even or close to even, in a tennis set |
| UNPLACED | Not one of the first three in a race or competition. |
| EGGSPOON | Item of cutlery with which to hold an oeuf in a race, or to "go to work" on a goog set in one's breakfast place (3,5) |
| NECKANDNECK | Very close in a race or contest (4,3,4) |
