diff --git a/src/sort/sort_test.go b/src/sort/sort_test.go
index 60fac2d695..10a2c19684 100644
--- a/src/sort/sort_test.go
+++ b/src/sort/sort_test.go
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ package sort_test
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"internal/testenv"
 	"math"
 	"math/rand"
 	. "sort"
 	"strconv"
+	stringspkg "strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -555,6 +557,9 @@ func TestCountStableOps(t *testing.T) { countOps(t, Stable, "Stable") }
 func TestCountSortOps(t *testing.T)   { countOps(t, Sort, "Sort  ") }
 
 func bench(b *testing.B, size int, algo func(Interface), name string) {
+	if stringspkg.HasSuffix(testenv.Builder(), "-race") && size > 1e4 {
+		b.Skip("skipping slow benchmark on race builder")
+	}
 	b.StopTimer()
 	data := make(intPairs, size)
 	x := ^uint32(0)