[Sports Day] Songs for footraces: tracks that make kids want to run [classics & J-pop]

A Trumpeter’s HolidayRuroi Andāson

08 Bugler’s Holiday – A Trumpeter’s Holiday

Composed in 1954 by American musician Leroy Anderson, “Bugler’s Holiday” is a classic staple as background music for sports days and athletic festivals.

Its intricate trumpet passages are distinctive, and listening to it gives you a feeling of being hurried along, as if someone’s giving you a push.

It’s perfect for footraces and relay scenes! If you’re undecided about the BGM, why not give it a try?

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sasashina

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Rocky Themebirukonti

Every ROCKY Training Montage in Order

A sports anthem that resonates with a powerful brass section and full orchestral sound, portraying humanity’s boundless potential and passion.

Known as a quintessential masterpiece at the intersection of film and music, it stages a grand narrative themed around hard work, growth, and a leap toward one’s dreams.

Composed by Bill Conti for the film Rocky, released in February 1977, it reached No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of the same year and ranked 58th on AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores.

Beyond exit scenes, it’s a highly effective track for moments when you want to encourage people who are giving their all—such as school events, sports day practice, and lineup formations.

Joyfulikimonogakari

Ikimonogakari 'Joyful' Music Video

When it comes to background music for running races, some of you might be looking for something not only with a sense of speed but also super high-energy.

In that case, I’d like to recommend “Joyful.” It’s a song by Ikimono-gakari that was created as a commercial song for Pocky.

Yoshiki Mizuno, who wrote and composed it, said he crafted it with the idea of making the sound and phrases stick in your head—and that’s exactly how it turned out.

The rhythm is so pleasant that it makes you feel like you can run faster than usual.

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yamamoto

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Dokimeki Diaryasmi feat. Chinozo

Dokimeki Diary – asmi feat. Chinozo (Official Music Video)

Like weaving together precious memories, this song is filled with uplifting messages brimming with hope and anticipation.

asmi’s clear, transparent vocals and Chinozo’s refined compositional sense blend beautifully, creating a pleasant sense of elation.

Portraying the courage and determination to take a new step forward while overcoming the anxieties and confusion of a journey of self-discovery, the track has been beloved as the opening theme for the Pokémon TV anime since April 2023.

It also received its first full-size performance during the special program “Anime Pokémon Music Festival,” broadcast on the TV Tokyo network on March 31.

It’s a powerful cheer song that gives you a supportive push at moments of new challenges—such as before events at sports days or athletic festivals.

Helloyama × bocchiboromaru

yama × Bocchi Boromaru “Hello” MV (TV anime “Pokémon” opening theme)

A heartwarming collaborative piece by yama and Bocchi Boromaru, brimming with positive energy as a rousing anthem.

It carries a message that awakens hope for the future and a spirit of adventure, with a simple yet powerful melody that resonates deeply.

The song is approachable for a wide audience and was chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime Pokémon starting in October 2023.

In December 2023, it was released on CD in two formats: a standard edition and a limited-time production edition.

As a positive track that makes you want to sing along with someone, it’s perfect for cheering at sports days and athletic festivals.

Raise your voices together with friends under the blue sky, and it will surely become a wonderful memory.

RunLittle Glee Monster

『Run』 – Little Glee Monster

A positive cheer song born from the collaboration between Meiji Probio Yogurt R-1 and Little Glee Monster.

It delivers a powerful message about the courage to take the first step and the importance of striving toward dreams and goals.

The six members’ overwhelming vocal prowess and harmonies weave a youthful story brimming with energy and hope.

Included on the album “Ambitious,” released in March 2025, it was selected to support new first-year students as they begin their new lives.

Its driving rhythm and uplifting melody are perfect for moments when many people move in unison.

An ideal track for exit music at sports festivals and field days, it’s a song that lets everyone share a refreshing sense of exhilaration.

William Tell OvertureRosshīni

[Yuri Simonov] Gioachino Rossini: Opera “William Tell”, Overture (March of Swiss Army)

The overture to a grand opera by Rossini, one of Italy’s most iconic composers.

Structured in four parts, it begins at dawn, passes through a storm scene, moves into pastoral tranquility, and then unfolds into a heroic march—a truly masterful progression.

Premiered in 1829, this work became widely known as the opening theme of the American TV series The Lone Ranger and was also used on Fuji TV’s Oretachi Hyokin-zoku, lodging itself in the memories of many.

Its powerful rhythms and dynamic melodies make it perfect for the exit scene at a school sports day, heightening the excitement as participants leave the field and bringing the event to a rousing, resonant close.