diff --git a/src/add/observable/race.ts b/src/add/observable/race.ts
index e871cf5113..68c58130d1 100644
--- a/src/add/observable/race.ts
+++ b/src/add/observable/race.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Observable } from '../../Observable';
-import { raceStatic } from '../../operator/race';
+import { race as raceStatic } from '../../observable/race';
 
 Observable.race = raceStatic;
 
diff --git a/src/observable/race.ts b/src/observable/race.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef1b2feb00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/observable/race.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { Observable } from '../Observable';
+import { isArray } from '../util/isArray';
+import { ArrayObservable } from '../observable/ArrayObservable';
+import { Operator } from '../Operator';
+import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
+import { Subscription, TeardownLogic } from '../Subscription';
+import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
+import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
+import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
+
+/**
+ * Returns an Observable that mirrors the first source Observable to emit an item.
+ * @param {...Observables} ...observables sources used to race for which Observable emits first.
+ * @return {Observable} an Observable that mirrors the output of the first Observable to emit an item.
+ * @static true
+ * @name race
+ * @owner Observable
+ */
+export function race<T>(observables: Array<Observable<T>>): Observable<T>;
+export function race<T>(observables: Array<Observable<any>>): Observable<T>;
+export function race<T>(...observables: Array<Observable<T> | Array<Observable<T>>>): Observable<T>;
+export function race<T>(...observables: Array<Observable<any> | Array<Observable<any>>>): Observable<T> {
+  // if the only argument is an array, it was most likely called with
+  // `race([obs1, obs2, ...])`
+  if (observables.length === 1) {
+    if (isArray(observables[0])) {
+      observables = <Array<Observable<any>>>observables[0];
+    } else {
+      return <Observable<any>>observables[0];
+    }
+  }
+
+  return new ArrayObservable<T>(<any>observables).lift(new RaceOperator<T>());
+}
+
+export class RaceOperator<T> implements Operator<T, T> {
+  call(subscriber: Subscriber<T>, source: any): TeardownLogic {
+    return source.subscribe(new RaceSubscriber(subscriber));
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
+ * @ignore
+ * @extends {Ignored}
+ */
+export class RaceSubscriber<T> extends OuterSubscriber<T, T> {
+  private hasFirst: boolean = false;
+  private observables: Observable<any>[] = [];
+  private subscriptions: Subscription[] = [];
+
+  constructor(destination: Subscriber<T>) {
+    super(destination);
+  }
+
+  protected _next(observable: any): void {
+    this.observables.push(observable);
+  }
+
+  protected _complete() {
+    const observables = this.observables;
+    const len = observables.length;
+
+    if (len === 0) {
+      this.destination.complete();
+    } else {
+      for (let i = 0; i < len && !this.hasFirst; i++) {
+        let observable = observables[i];
+        let subscription = subscribeToResult(this, observable, observable, i);
+
+        if (this.subscriptions) {
+          this.subscriptions.push(subscription);
+        }
+        this.add(subscription);
+      }
+      this.observables = null;
+    }
+  }
+
+  notifyNext(outerValue: T, innerValue: T,
+             outerIndex: number, innerIndex: number,
+             innerSub: InnerSubscriber<T, T>): void {
+    if (!this.hasFirst) {
+      this.hasFirst = true;
+
+      for (let i = 0; i < this.subscriptions.length; i++) {
+        if (i !== outerIndex) {
+          let subscription = this.subscriptions[i];
+
+          subscription.unsubscribe();
+          this.remove(subscription);
+        }
+      }
+
+      this.subscriptions = null;
+    }
+
+    this.destination.next(innerValue);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/operator/race.ts b/src/operator/race.ts
index a5675f7c7d..72326bab94 100644
--- a/src/operator/race.ts
+++ b/src/operator/race.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Subscription, TeardownLogic } from '../Subscription';
 import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
 import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
 import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
+import { race as higherOrder } from '../operators';
 
 /* tslint:disable:max-line-length */
 export function race<T>(this: Observable<T>, observables: Array<Observable<T>>): Observable<T>;
@@ -24,13 +25,7 @@ export function race<T, R>(this: Observable<T>, ...observables: Array<Observable
  * @owner Observable
  */
 export function race<T>(this: Observable<T>, ...observables: Array<Observable<T> | Array<Observable<T>>>): Observable<T> {
-  // if the only argument is an array, it was most likely called with
-  // `pair([obs1, obs2, ...])`
-  if (observables.length === 1 && isArray(observables[0])) {
-    observables = <Array<Observable<T>>>observables[0];
-  }
-
-  return this.lift.call(raceStatic<T>(this, ...observables));
+  return higherOrder(...observables)(this);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/operators/index.ts b/src/operators/index.ts
index 412226844a..1f6149c95a 100644
--- a/src/operators/index.ts
+++ b/src/operators/index.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export { mergeMap } from './mergeMap';
 export { min } from './min';
 export { multicast } from './multicast';
 export { publish } from './publish';
+export { race } from './race';
 export { reduce } from './reduce';
 export { refCount } from './refCount';
 export { scan } from './scan';
diff --git a/src/operators/race.ts b/src/operators/race.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6efcdf5a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/operators/race.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { Observable } from '../Observable';
+import { isArray } from '../util/isArray';
+import { MonoTypeOperatorFunction, OperatorFunction } from '../interfaces';
+import { race as raceStatic } from '../observable/race';
+
+/* tslint:disable:max-line-length */
+export function race<T>(observables: Array<Observable<T>>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export function race<T, R>(observables: Array<Observable<T>>): OperatorFunction<T, R>;
+export function race<T>(...observables: Array<Observable<T> | Array<Observable<T>>>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export function race<T, R>(...observables: Array<Observable<any> | Array<Observable<any>>>): OperatorFunction<T, R>;
+/* tslint:enable:max-line-length */
+
+/**
+ * Returns an Observable that mirrors the first source Observable to emit an item
+ * from the combination of this Observable and supplied Observables.
+ * @param {...Observables} ...observables Sources used to race for which Observable emits first.
+ * @return {Observable} An Observable that mirrors the output of the first Observable to emit an item.
+ * @method race
+ * @owner Observable
+ */
+export function race<T>(...observables: Array<Observable<T> | Array<Observable<T>>>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
+  return function raceOperatorFunction(source: Observable<T>) {
+    // if the only argument is an array, it was most likely called with
+    // `pair([obs1, obs2, ...])`
+    if (observables.length === 1 && isArray(observables[0])) {
+      observables = <Array<Observable<T>>>observables[0];
+    }
+
+    return source.lift.call(raceStatic<T>(source, ...observables));
+  };
+}
\ No newline at end of file