Go faster in the present though beaten in the past (6)
I believe the answer is:
outrun
'present though beaten in the past' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'go faster in the' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'go' could be 'run' (running is a kind of going) and 'run' is found in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'ou' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for outrun that I've seen before include "Go faster than, on the gallop" , "Go faster than as in foot race" , "Lose" , "Be too fast for on foot" , "Overtake, escape" .)