[Obstacle Course Relay] Recommended Ideas & Fun Gags to Add to Your Sports Day
The “obstacle relay,” where teammates pass the baton while overcoming various obstacles, is a super fun event that excites people of all ages!
In this article, we introduce ideas for obstacle relays.
Hurdles and net crawls are classics, but this time we’ve also picked out some quirky, laugh-inducing ideas with a twist.
If you’re thinking, “Obstacle relays are a must, but the same old traditional course is boring!” then take a look for inspiration!
- A roundup of recommended obstacle ideas for obstacle courses
- [Obstacle Course Relay] Recommended Ideas & Fun Gags to Add to Your Sports Day
- [Unique] Fun sports day events that both kids and adults can enjoy
- [For Middle Schoolers] A Comprehensive Introduction to Fun Sports Day Events We Recommend!
- For the kindergarten sports day! A list of obstacle course ideas
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- Arrange the bread-eating race! A roundup of fun, exciting, and hilarious ideas
- Perfect for Sports Day! Obstacle Course Ideas Recommended for 2-Year-Olds
- [Make Sports Day More Approachable!] Unique Event Names: Fun Competition Titles by Category
- Popular songs recommended for nursery school sports days! A roundup of classic crowd-pleasers and the latest hits
- [Preschool] Fun event ideas to include in the sports day for the junior (younger) class
- [Dance Songs] Recommended for school sports days and athletic festivals! A curated selection of popular tracks that are fun to dance to
- From classic to quirky: prompts that will liven up a borrow-it relay
[Obstacle Relay] Recommended Ideas and Fun Gimmicks to Include in a Sports Day (21–30)
Obstacle relay pretending to be ○○

An obstacle relay where participants fully embody a given theme and run a course tailored to that theme offers a different level of difficulty and entertainment compared to simply running.
For example, with a theme like waiter or waitress, you could have runners carry orders on a tray; if they drop anything, they must return to the start—there’s a wide range of possible rules.
Of course, the compatibility between the theme and the course matters, so creating just the right course takes a good sense for what will excite the crowd.
It’s visually fun, and the race itself is sure to be thrilling, so give this themed obstacle relay a try!
Aim for the goal without dropping the ball!

The activity involves carrying a ball to a designated point without dropping it, and the difficulty varies depending on the method used to carry the ball—that’s a key aspect.
You can enjoy it in various ways, such as solo patterns like placing the ball on a tool to carry it, or pair patterns like holding the ball between two people’s backs as they move.
How to judge when the ball is dropped and from where to restart are also important points for running a fair competition, so assign referees to carefully monitor the situation.
It seems best to design the content based on which abilities you want to bring out—such as balance or partnership.
[Obstacle Course Relay] Recommended Ideas & Fun Themes to Add to Your Sports Day (31–40)
Food obstacle relay

This is a food obstacle relay where food is placed at checkpoints, and you can’t advance unless you finish everything.
Unlike a typical obstacle relay, it demands speed in areas other than stamina and athletic ability, giving even those who aren’t great at sports a chance to win.
If it’s for a company sports day, you could include one “dud” item—like something extremely spicy—among the foods to create chaos and hype.
However, since running with food still in your mouth is dangerous, judges should take care to prevent that.
Making slime in an obstacle relay

An obstacle relay race where, instead of a baton, runners carry slime-making tools.
The basic rules are the same as a regular obstacle relay, but at each handoff you add slime ingredients, and the team that completes their slime first at the end wins.
Unlike a baton, the equipment is bulky to carry, so runners need to be careful—if you set it down to get over an obstacle, there’s a risk you’ll forget it.
Because it’s not a contest you can win on athletic ability alone, it’s an obstacle race that any team lineup can enjoy and get excited about.
In conclusion
We introduced ideas for obstacle relays that everyone can enjoy regardless of athletic ability.
With unique events like three-legged races, spoon races, and rock-paper-scissors, you can make the most of each activity’s features while fostering teamwork and cooperation.
By getting creative, you can also adjust the difficulty, so try planning an obstacle relay that will put a smile on every participant’s face.



