[Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM!
Speaking of relays, they’re the event that gets the crowd most excited at a sports day! The music that adds flair to the race is also one of the key elements.
I’m sure you, too, have a song that comes to mind as relay BGM.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of tracks—from classic relay staples everyone’s heard to J-pop numbers perfect for a heated competition.
They’re all songs that will make you want to start running, so use them as a guide when choosing your playlist.
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[Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM! (21–30)
I am the strongest.Ado
“I can win!” Ado’s ‘I Am the Strongest’ fills you with that kind of confidence! The exhilarating, fast-paced sound is a given, but the lyrics that encourage anyone taking on a challenge are incredibly appealing too.
This song teaches the importance of charging toward your goals and trusting your teammates as you move forward together, making it a perfect fit for a relay race where the whole team aims for victory as one.
With Ado’s powerhouse vocals—no exaggeration to call them pure strength—and lyrics that ignite your fighting spirit, this is a track that gives you a solid push forward.
Heaven and HellJacques Offenbach
When it comes to sports day staples, nothing beats ‘Heaven and Hell’ (the Can-Can).
There’s probably no one who hasn’t heard it.
Its tempo is relatively fast—at a level you don’t often find in other pieces—so it’s easy to see why it’s used.
I think teams really put their all into the relay as the final highlight.
If it’s ‘Heaven and Hell,’ it will surely match that heightened excitement.
And since it’s such a classic, you can run through it without the music feeling out of place.
To everyone chosen for the relay, and to everyone running together as a team, I wish you all the best in giving it everything you’ve got.
Fanfaresumika
Sumika’s 2018 release “Fanfare” is a rock track whose exhilarating drive and refreshing feel are truly satisfying.
It was also chosen as the opening theme for the feature-length anime “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.” The steadily pulsing drums create a sense of sprinting momentum.
Many people feel fed up with their own inadequacies or with a self-indulgent lifestyle—wondering why they can’t do even simple things and getting stuck in their worries.
The lyrics encourage you to break through that darkness and become a new version of yourself.
For athletes running in a relay, listen to this song, fire yourself up, aim for the top, and strive to become your new self!
peace signYonezu Kenshi
An artist whose name is written as Kenshi Yonezu but read as “Yonezu Genshi.” He originally started as a music creator and is also a renowned producer who has produced numerous classic VOCALOID tracks.
Peace Sign, characterized by its easy-to-listen voice and cool melody, is his seventh single, released on June 21, 2017.
It reached No.
2 on the Oricon weekly chart and ranks as the fourth most popular among his singles.
As an artist supported by the younger generation, if you play it at events like school sports days, it’s sure to fire up the kids’ excitement and fighting spirit.
mixed nutsOfisharu Higedan Dism
This is a track with an exhilarating, fast-paced sound that’s truly captivating.
Written specifically as the theme song for the anime “SPY×FAMILY,” it was released in April 2022.
It skillfully expresses themes like family, love, and hidden truths using the metaphor of nuts and peanuts.
The lyrics, packed with the series’ worldview and the characters’ emotions, are irresistible for anime fans.
It’s great to listen to while discussing the show, but its driving tempo also makes it perfect as relay race BGM at a school sports day.
That refreshing sense of uplift is sure to give runners a boost.
AdventureYOASOBI
The song produced by YOASOBI carries a message for people who wish to break free from boredom and the hassles of everyday life.
Its lyrics strikingly depict a day that’s different from the ordinary and celebrate the value of time spent with friends.
Released digitally in February 2023, the track was written as the theme song for Universal Studios Japan’s limited-time “Uni Spring” campaign.
Brimming with pop brightness and a sense of adventure, it’s sure to lift participants’ spirits when played at sports days or athletic festivals!
Full driveKANA-BOON
This is one of KANA-BOON’s signature songs, and the band was a driving force in Japan’s rock scene in the 2010s.
As the title “Full Drive” suggests, the song’s brisk, fast-paced feel and lyrics built around the keyword “running” leave a strong impression.
Their style shines through with an uptempo, easy-to-groove beat, plus catchy, approachable melodies and sounds.
If this track plays in the latter half of a relay, it’s sure to make the anchor leg showdown even more intense.
