set the pace

S

set the pace (idiom / metaphor)
/ sɛt ðə peɪs /

Meanings

• To establish the standard, speed, or level that others follow.
• To lead by example in performance or progress.
• To decide the speed or rhythm of an activity, race, or event. (literal)

Synonyms: lead; guide; determine; influence; establish; direct.

Example Sentences

1. The new company has set the pace for innovation in the tech industry.
2. Her dedication and hard work set the pace for the rest of the team.
3. The runner started strong and set the pace for the marathon. (literal)

Origin and History

The noun “pace” originates from Old French and Latin, meaning a step or rate of motion. The verb forms—”to walk at a steady rate” and “to measure by pacing”—are attested centuries earlier. The idiom “set the pace” followed a clear semantic pathway: beginning with literal uses in racing or marching, moving into technical sporting contexts where one competitor established a race tempo, and finally extending metaphorically to leadership and standard-setting in broader fields such as business, culture, and politics.

Sporting and Racing Origin

The strongest evidence points to nineteenth-century sporting practices—especially horse racing, cycling, and foot races—as the cradle of the phrase. In these contexts, one competitor would literally “set the pace” for others to follow. By the 1880s, this terminology was common in sporting reports, and soon afterward it was adopted figuratively in general writing to describe leadership or innovation in non-sporting domains.

Alternative or Complementary Explanations

Other possible influences reinforced the idiom’s figurative development. Military marching, where a leader sets the marching tempo, may have contributed. Musical imagery of marking or keeping tempo could also have played a role. In addition, ordinary descriptions of motion, such as animals or travelers naturally dictating a group’s speed, reflect the phrase in simple literal contexts. These complementary strands supported the transition of the phrase into metaphorical English.

Country of Origin

The idiom arose in the English-speaking sporting world of the nineteenth century. Both British and American sources from the 1880s contain early uses, suggesting parallel development within a shared racing culture. Britain’s horse-racing and athletics traditions provided fertile ground, while American newspapers and magazines also recorded the phrase in sporting and recreational contexts. Thus, the idiom is best viewed as emerging within the wider Anglo-American sporting community.

Earliest Printed Records

The earliest securely dated uses of “set the pace” appear in the 1880s. A sporting weekly from Philadelphia in May 1886 includes the phrase in a match report:

“…we trust they haven’t set the pace too fast to last.”

Another early citation appears in Outing: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Recreation (1888–1889), in which a race account noted:

“Baggott set the pace for the first mile, making the distance in 3m. 19s.”

These examples confirm the phrase’s literal sporting origins before it was adopted figuratively.

Origin Conclusion

The idiom “set the pace” developed directly from sporting language in the late nineteenth century. With its roots in horse racing, cycling, and foot races, the phrase naturally expressed leadership in speed and performance. Alternative associations from marching, music, and everyday movement enriched its metaphorical reach. By the late 1880s, it had entered broader English as a common idiom for leadership, innovation, and the setting of standards.

Variants

1. set the tone
2. set the standard
3. set the trend
4. pace-setter (noun)
5. lead the way

Sports