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das Rennen machen

English translation: (will be) the team to beat

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:das Rennen machen
English translation:(will be) the team to beat
Entered by: jccantrell

22:08 Jan 20, 2016
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Sports / Fitness / Recreation
German term or phrase: das Rennen machen
Hi folks.

Translating an internal newsletter for a company and they are talking about their company running club. They entered into a 24-hour event and comes this:

Gleich zu Beginn war klar: Das Team der Polizei Baden-Württemberg wird wie in den vergangenen Jahren das Rennen machen.

Are they saying that the police team was the "one to beat?" If not, what are they saying?

Thanks.
jccantrell
United States
Local time: 19:13
(will be) the team to beat
Explanation:
as in, they're hot favourites, expected to win unless someone can outdo them...

I agree with your own interpretation, jc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2016-01-20 22:46:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

IOW: They will have a huge say in the outcome of the event (but mightn't necessarily win it).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days3 hrs (2016-01-24 01:36:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Post-grading:
I'm not so sure you opted for the right answer, jc.
Although I'm certain I've heard "sie werden das Rennen machen" intended as "nur über sie wird das Rennen entschieden", the "actual" meaning does appear to be "sie werden das Rennen für sich entscheiden/gewinnen" (but did our author use the term correctly in the first place?).
Feel free to regrade/redistribute the points and edit the glossary.
Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 04:13
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone on this. I had never come across the term before but I do the technical stuff for this company so I guess they thought a translator is a translator is a translator :)
These were all good suggestions but I went with this one because it fit with the tone of the article.
Thanks again to everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4will be the winning team
Annika Schmitz
4 +3(will be) the team to beat
Cilian O'Tuama
3 +3(BrE) will be making (all) the running
Adrian MM. (X)
3 +2walk away as winners
Michael Martin, MA


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
(BrE) will be making (all) the running


Explanation:
a pun both in German and (British) English, meaning to work hard and set the standard.

Perhaps the expression doesn't travel well across the 'Pond', to wit: Transatlantically.


    Reference: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/make-all-...
Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 04:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Funny, I thought this was American too, but it looks like it's not. You learn something new every day.
49 mins
  -> Thanks. Yes, quite odd.
agree  writeaway: Pons: [mit etw dat] das Rennen machen fam to make the running [with sth] die Konkurrenz macht wieder mal das Rennen the competition is making the running again
7 hrs
  -> Yes thx, but query for the US.
agree  BrigitteHilgner: http://www.dict.cc/?s=make the running
9 hrs
  -> Danke. Vielleicht ist doch nicht in der USA naheliegend...
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
will be the winning team


Explanation:
"das Rennen machen" simply means "to win" (a race or competition, NOT in the lottery).
PONS suggests "to make the running" and "to bring home the bacon".

HTH


    Reference: http://en.pons.com/translate?q=das+rennen+machen&l=deen&in=&...
Annika Schmitz
Germany
Local time: 04:13
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: Disagree with this interpretation. IMO they're merely expected to be the toughest opponent if anyone else has hopes of winning the competition. Sie werden das R machen. To have a chance of winning, you must be capable of beating them. //Change to agree
35 mins
  -> Hi Cilian, it's not an interpretation. You might have noticed that I'm a native speaker. I use it myself quite regularly. Thanks to everyone else.
neutral  philgoddard: If this were the case, it would be a pretty arrogant thing to say.
42 mins
  -> Not if they were the strongest team and this became clear from the outset. That's what the German article implies.
agree  Michael Martin, MA: Arrogant or not, that's exactly what it means.The objections are misguided, in my opinion.
5 hrs
agree  Alice Bergfeld: This is exactly what it means: to win. Nothing else is implied.
9 hrs
agree  barbarameyer: http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Rennen : das Rennen machen (umgangssprachlich: bei einem Wettbewerb, einem Vergleich o. Ä. am erfolgreichsten sein, gewinnen)
15 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
walk away as winners


Explanation:
There's no question about the meaning (https://www.google.de/#q=das Rennen machen bedeutung) but we also might want to use something that is as idiomatic as the German

Example:
"But this time, the Blue Devils were determined to flip the script and walk away as winners.." http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2015/10/duke-volleyball...


Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 22:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 51

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  barbarameyer: http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Rennen : das Rennen machen (umgangssprachlich: bei einem Wettbewerb, einem Vergleich o. Ä. am erfolgreichsten sein, gewinnen)
9 hrs
  -> Thanks, Barbara!
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: (Seeing as we translators are in the hair-splitting business) A possible scenario where this could also be said of a non-winner: dark horse, commendable performance, surpassed expectations, put up a great fight but didn't win. I agree otherwise.
2 days 21 hrs
agree  Paul Cohen: A somewhat belated agree (better late than never). In retrospect, you're the "moralischer Gewinner" here.
16 days
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
(werden) das Rennen machen
(will be) the team to beat


Explanation:
as in, they're hot favourites, expected to win unless someone can outdo them...

I agree with your own interpretation, jc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2016-01-20 22:46:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

IOW: They will have a huge say in the outcome of the event (but mightn't necessarily win it).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days3 hrs (2016-01-24 01:36:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Post-grading:
I'm not so sure you opted for the right answer, jc.
Although I'm certain I've heard "sie werden das Rennen machen" intended as "nur über sie wird das Rennen entschieden", the "actual" meaning does appear to be "sie werden das Rennen für sich entscheiden/gewinnen" (but did our author use the term correctly in the first place?).
Feel free to regrade/redistribute the points and edit the glossary.

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 04:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 155
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone on this. I had never come across the term before but I do the technical stuff for this company so I guess they thought a translator is a translator is a translator :)
These were all good suggestions but I went with this one because it fit with the tone of the article.
Thanks again to everyone!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: "Setting the pace" is another possibility.
27 mins
  -> Post that as an answer, and I'll agree. //(New comments might interest you.)
disagree  Michael Martin, MA: Needs to be even more confident than this. "Setting the pace" would be worse, IMO
6 hrs
  -> Indeed, I learnt something new, didn't realise it is restricted to winning (when used correctly). You're right.
agree  writeaway
6 hrs
agree  Julia Burgess
10 hrs
agree  Kristina Cosumano (X)
1 day 11 hrs
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