[March, Foot Races, Dance] Energetic songs and the latest hits to liven up a sports day
When it comes to sports day music, many people might think of classical pieces like ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ (Infernal Galop from ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’).
However, in recent years, more schools have been using pop songs and anime tracks as background music in addition to the classic staples, making the selection more diverse.
In this article, we’ll introduce lively songs that perfectly match the sports day atmosphere—not only long-standing classics but also popular J-POP tunes among elementary and middle school students.
Use this as a reference for your playlist!
- [Sports Day] Songs for footraces: tracks that make kids want to run [classics & J-pop]
- [Sports Day] Entrance songs that will hype the crowd! A comprehensive roundup from classics to the latest hits
- [Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM!
- From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- [Dance Tracks] Perfect for School Sports Days! A Curated Selection of Fun, Popular Songs to Dance To [2026]
- [March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals!
- [2026] Curated J-POP to Energize Sports Days and Athletic Festivals! Also Great as Entrance Music
- Popular songs recommended for nursery school sports days! A roundup of classic crowd-pleasers and the latest hits
- Recommended exit songs for sports day: A collection of tracks that are perfect for a brisk, quick-march exit.
- Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids
- Get Fired Up! A Collection of Anime Songs to Hype Up Your Sports Day and Athletic Festival
- Perfect for sports day parachute routines! Recommended J-pop songs
[Marching, Footraces, Dance] Energetic Songs and the Newest Tracks to Hype Up Sports Day (101–110)
fatesumika
This is a song by sumika, notable for its lyrics that start with “1,” like a counting rhyme, and its pop sound.
Released in April 2024 as the opening theme for the TV anime Dungeon Meshi Season 2, the track delivers an affirmative ode to taking on the unknown.
Its message—embracing even failure as part of the fun and enjoying life—pairs perfectly with the uptempo progression and clever, tricky sound design.
It’s a bright, uplifting song that can create a sense of unity across an entire venue when used for a dance segment at a school sports day.
OrangeSPYAIR
An upbeat tune with a sense of speed, a melody full of exhilaration, and powerful vocals that make your heart leap! It’s a track released in February 2024.
It’s an uplifting song packed with SPYAIR’s charm.
The lyrics, which sing of the courage and hope to keep moving forward, are sure to hype up every scene at a sports day! Created as the theme song for Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle: The Movie, this piece is brimming with a refreshing energy that will make you want to start running.
It’s perfect for a quick marching-off scene, so if it plays at a sports day, I’m sure the excitement will kick in and you’ll feel like you can bring out strength you don’t usually have!
changemiwa
Popular among junior high and high school students, miwa has a song that alternates between driving, fast-paced sections and slower, conversational moments.
In both, her piercingly clear voice truly shines.
It slips right into your ears, making it a very pleasant listen! Highly recommended as entrance/exit music for inter-club competitions.
Feeling great!!mihimaru GT
It’s one of mihimaru GT’s signature songs, giving the strong impression of calling on everyone to have fun together.
While it’s often seen as a bright party tune, the tempo is actually relaxed, letting you really feel the powerful beat in your body.
It’s a captivating track that seems to both stay close to the anxieties of everyday life and sometimes urge you to forget them and enjoy yourself.
It expresses the bonds and unity with friends to the fullest—a song that brings people together in a joyful, all-for-one spirit.
Here we go! Phantom Thief GirlMomoiro Kurōbā Zetto
It’s Momoiro Clover Z’s major-label debut single and one of their signature songs.
The distinctive choreography really leaves an impression, doesn’t it? It’s a bright, pop masterpiece that makes you want to start dancing.
If you put your friends’ names into the name-call part, it really pumps up the crowd! Give it a try.
[Marching, Foot Races, Dance] Energetic Songs & Latest Tracks to Hype Up Sports Day (111–120)
Wake Up!AAA
A song by the performance unit AAA, specially written as the theme for the anime ONE PIECE, evokes a rising sense of excitement toward embarking on an adventure that reflects the work’s worldview.
With a band sound that incorporates brass timbres, it conjures a grand, bright scene reminiscent of blue skies and the open sea.
It’s a track that conveys joyful emotions—expressing the courage to move toward one’s goals and the happiness of moving forward together with companions.
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS
A song by the four-piece rock band RADWIMPS, known for handling numerous film scores and showcasing their unique creativity.
This track was created as an insert song for their first foray into film music, the animated movie “Your Name.” Along with the film’s popularity—which became a social phenomenon—it’s also known as a number that brought RADWIMPS widespread recognition.
With a high-velocity arrangement that bursts into top speed right from the intro, it seems perfect as background music for a school sports day sprint.
Its catchy melody and sense of speed lift your spirits—a refreshing rock tune.
