race vs thrust ahead

race is a noun but thrust ahead is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
race	Yes	No	Yes	No
thrust ahead	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, thrust ahead is a hyponym of race; that is, thrust ahead is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than race:

Other hyponyms of race include barge, push forward, buck, charge, shoot, shoot down, tear, dart, dash, flash, scoot, scud, shoot.

race (noun)	thrust ahead (noun)
a canal for a current of water
a contest of speed
any competition
people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock
(biology) a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species
the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller

race (verb)	thrust ahead (verb)
compete in a race	push one's way
move hurridly
cause to move fast or to rush or race
to work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others