If you are asking about a race where you finish second, then the number of ways that someone can finish first is dependent on the number of participants in the race.
If there are only two participants in the race (including you), then there is only one way that someone can finish first (the other participant).
If there are more than two participants in the race, then the number of ways that someone can finish first is equal to the number of participants minus one. This is because there is only one first place, and once that position is filled, there is one less person who can finish first.
For example, if there are 10 participants in the race (including you), then there are 9 ways that someone can finish first (since 10 - 1 = 9).