fore·run·ner 
(fôrrŭn′ər)
(fôrrŭn′ər)n.
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. One who skis a course before the beginning of a race.