Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Many people struggle with choosing songs for sports day, don’t they?

Here, we introduce perfect tracks for each scene—from classic staples ideal for sports day to upbeat J-pop and Western hits that get everyone excited!

Well-known songs can hype up the crowd, but using the same ones every year can get old…

We’ve curated a selection of tracks to solve that problem.

You’ll find refreshing tunes that make you want to start running and motivational anthems that give you courage.

Use this article as a guide to make your sports day even more fun and exciting!

Classic (1–10)

Csikos PostHermann Necke

Csikos Post

Csikos PostHermann Necke

A piece so famous that it’s practically synonymous with sports days and athletics.

Composed by the German musician Hermann Necke, the title’s “Csikos” refers to a horseherd and “Post” means post or mail, so in Japanese it’s sometimes called “Kushikosu no Yūbinbasha” (The Csikos Post).

In the 1990s, it was also used in video game music, such as Yoshi’s Cookie and Downtown Nekketsu March.

The brisk tempo vividly evokes a hurried carriage ride, making it perfect as BGM for running events at school sports days, like relays and sprints!

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Heaven and HellJacques Offenbach

Heaven and Hell / Sports Day BGM

Heaven and HellJacques Offenbach

When you think of a school sports day, isn’t this the first piece that comes to mind? Its lively rhythm suits any event—relays, beanbag tosses, you name it.

The piece appears in the operetta Orpheus in the Underworld by the German-born composer Offenbach.

The melody you’re thinking of is the gallop that comes in the second half of the overture, also known as the can-can.

Since its premiere in 1858, this comic operetta has been loved for over a century.

Its bright, comical tone really lifts the spirit of a sports day!

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Baroque HoedownJean Jacques Perrey

Jean-Jacques Perrey – Baroque Hoedown

Baroque HoedownJean Jacques Perrey

This is a quintessential electronic music piece from the 1960s, notable for its distinctive Moog synthesizer tones.

Blending Baroque elements with a country-style rhythm, the unique composition features a bright, upbeat melody that lingers in the mind.

Included on the duo Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley’s 1967 album “Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Electronic Pop Music From Way Out,” the work was adopted in June 1972 as the theme for Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade and has been beloved by many ever since.

It’s a perfect choice for festive, celebratory occasions—such as parade entries at sports days or award ceremonies—guaranteed to fill the venue with a lively, cheerful atmosphere.

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William Tell OvertureGioachino Rossini

High-Quality Sound: William Tell Overture

William Tell OvertureGioachino Rossini

The overture composed by Gioachino Rossini for the opera William Tell.

In Japan, it’s also well known as the opening theme for the TV show “Ore-tachi Hyōkin-zoku,” and as the tune played at Koshien Stadium when the Hanshin Tigers’ opponents hit a home run.

The introductory trumpet makes it feel like a departure signal, and your body just starts moving on its own! This piece is also commonly used at sports days, and is recommended for races like sprints that start with a pistol signal, scavenger hunts, and bread-eating contests.

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Symphony No. 5 “Revolution,” Fourth MovementDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 “Revolution,” Fourth Movement

Symphony No. 5 “Revolution,” Fourth MovementDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich

Watch “Symphony No. 5 ‘Revolution,’ Fourth Movement — Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich” on YouTube

A masterpiece that combines power and grandeur, this work dynamically conveys the appeal of Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphony.

The orchestra’s commanding performance instantly elevates the atmosphere of a gymnasium, creating excitement befitting a tense competition.

At its premiere in Leningrad in November 1937, Yevgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra achieved great success with their performance.

Featuring march-like phrases and a forceful rhythm, this piece is an ideal BGM to lift the spirits of all participants and lead them onto a grand stage.

Used for the main events of a sports day or for entrances and exits, it will foster a strong sense of unity throughout the venue.

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