forerunner

(fôrˈrŭnˌər, fōrˈ-)

1. a. One that precedes, as in time; a predecessor.
   b. An ancestor; a forebear.
2. a. One that comes before and indicates the approach of another; a harbinger.
   b. A warning sign or symptom.
3. Sports One who skis the course before the beginning of a race.