The advantages of stretching before a race is that you will be looser, quicker, and will have a greater chance of not injuring yourself. However, it’s important to stretch the correct way before a race. That being said, before a race it’s important to stretch in a dynamic style. Dynamic meaning moving in consistent motions while moving your muscles around. Footwork drills are a great example of a dynamic stretch!
Fun fact...
Most people believe that stretching in a static style (meaning sitting it standing still and holding a muscle for a long period of time) is the right thing to do before a workout, race, or any type of conditioning workout. When really static stretching actually slows you down! Hope this helps!