There are four major
definitions of this word, in order of importance:
1. Genus, species, or kind. Up until about 30,000 years ago, there were other races of humans, which included Neanderthals and Archaics, but they are thought to have been indirectly out-competed by modern Homo sapiens.
2. Any
competition of speed or display of rapid movement.
3. Any fictional sentient species featured in fantasy or
science fiction literature that is effectively human for purposes of characterization. In role-playing games, different races (i.e. elves, dwarves, humans, halflings etc.) can be selected for play, each with it's own inherent advantages and disadvantages.
4. A word wrongly applied to refer to the 6 major populations of modern Homo sapiens, which bear different skin colors but no important genetic differences.