The phrase "a close race between" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation where two or more competitors are very evenly matched in a contest or competition.
Example: "The election turned out to be a close race between the two candidates, with only a few hundred votes separating them."
Alternatives: "a tight competition between" or "a narrow contest between".
So far in Kentucky, the polls show a close race between Mr Fletcher and Mrs Northup.
Polls show a close race between Kasich and Trump, with Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex). well behind.
But those polls that have been done continue to show exactly what the pre-storm polls revealed: a close race between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
On my well-drained soil, it's a close race between Eremurus 'Joanna' (a giant foxtail lily, pictured) and Ferula communis (wild fennel).
In a close race between Senator George Allen, a Republican, and Jim Webb, the Democratic contender, Ms. Parker's withdrawal could determine whether Republicans retain their Senate majority.
Kate Rusby For me, it was a close race between Coldplay's Viva La Vida and Noah and the Whale's self-titled album.
Two polls in December indicated a closer race between the in and out camps, but there is an air of caution around published opinion polls in British politics after their failure to predict the 2015 general election result.
But even that outcome contemplates Republicans' winning Mr. Reid's seat in Nevada, where there is a very close race between a Republican representative, Joe Heck, and former Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat.
Preliminary projections had earlier suggested a close race for second between Mr. Kuczynski and Ms. Fujimori.
A new Quinnipiac poll showed a very close race between former governor Eliot Spitzer and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in the Democratic primary for city comptroller.
Earlier today, a poll released by NBC News/Marist also showed a very close race between the two leading candidates: Mr. Romney at 37 percent and Mr. Santorum at 35 percent, a slight edge for Mr. Romney that's within the survey's margin of sampling error.
