diff --git a/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java b/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
index 47343dfb..2a014452 100644
--- a/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
+++ b/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
     protected long totalTimeElapsed;
 
 
-    private int SLEEP_TIME = 1000; //time in milliseconds to pause in a paced loop
+    private int SLEEP_TIME = 25; //time in milliseconds to pause in a paced loop
+    private int PRERACE_TIME = Integer.MAX_VALUE; //time in milliseconds to pause during pre-race
 
     /**
      * Initailiser for Race
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
     public void run() {
         updateController();
         preRace();
+        countdownTimer();
         simulateRace();
     }
 
@@ -72,6 +74,34 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
     }
 
 
+    private void countdownTimer() {
+        long currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        long startTime = currentTime + PRERACE_TIME;
+        long minutes;
+        long currentTimeInSeconds;
+        long remainingSeconds;
+        long hours;
+        long timeLeft;
+        long timeLoopEnded;
+
+        while (currentTime <= startTime) {
+            timeLeft = startTime - currentTime;
+            currentTimeInSeconds = timeLeft / 1000;
+            minutes = currentTimeInSeconds / 60;
+            remainingSeconds = currentTimeInSeconds % 60;
+            hours = minutes / 60;
+            minutes = minutes % 60;
+            updateTime(String.format("%02d:%02d:%02d", hours, minutes, remainingSeconds));
+            try {
+                timeLoopEnded = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                Thread.sleep(SLEEP_TIME - (timeLoopEnded - currentTime));
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+            }
+            currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        }
+    }
+
     private String calcTimer() {
         long minutes;
         long currentTimeInSeconds;
@@ -81,7 +111,8 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
         currentTimeInSeconds = totalTimeElapsed / 1000;
         minutes = currentTimeInSeconds / 60;
         remainingSeconds = currentTimeInSeconds % 60;
-        hours = minutes/60;
+        hours = minutes / 60;
+        minutes = minutes % 60;
         return String.format("%02d:%02d:%02d", hours, minutes, remainingSeconds);
     }