[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.
- [Sports Day] Songs for footraces: tracks that make kids want to run [classics & J-pop]
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- [March, Foot Races, Dance] Energetic songs and the latest hits to liven up a sports day
- From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day
- Songs That Make You Want to Run: Music for Running and Jogging to Get You Motivated!
- Songs that hype up the athlete entrance at school sports festivals
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- [To All Athletes] Inspirational Sports Anthems & Empowering Theme Songs
- Carefully selected J-pop to liven up sports days and athletic festivals! Also great as entrance songs.
- Recommended exit songs for sports day: A collection of tracks that are perfect for a brisk, quick-march exit.
- Get Fired Up! A Collection of Anime Songs to Hype Up Your Sports Day and Athletic Festival
- [Kids’ Cheer Song] Uplifting Positive Songs & Message Songs
- Coloring the drama of youth! Heartwarming songs perfect for school sports days and athletic festivals
[Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM! (41–50)
idolYOASOBI
A track marked by exhilarating, fast-paced sound and powerful vocals.
It feels like it captures the very heat of a footrace.
Released digitally in April 2023 as the opening theme for the anime “Oshi no Ko,” it sparked major buzz.
With lyrics depicting the front and back, the light and shadow of idols, this song will make anyone want to run at full speed.
Play it at a sports day, and it’s sure to bring athletes and spectators together in excitement.
Paired with the children’s vibrant energy, it’s bound to become an unforgettable memory.
[Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM! (51–60)
typewriterLeroy Anderson
The Typewriter, composed by Leroy Anderson, is performed with the curious combination of an orchestra and a typewriter.
It’s a highly humorous piece that depicts a busy office under the pressure of work.
By orchestral sound alone, it’s hardly a piece suited for a relay race, but once the typewriter’s “click-clack” sound effects are added, it turns into lively music that makes you feel hurried and almost pick up your running pace! Doesn’t it feel as if someone is saying, “Hurry up! Move faster!”?
ultramarineYOASOBI
A track defined by an exhilarating, fast-paced melody! It’s a pop tune that signals a new frontier for YOASOBI.
True to their style of crafting songs based on novels and stories, it carries a profound message while delivering an uplifting, refreshing sound that makes listeners’ hearts soar.
Released in January 2021, the song stayed on the charts for an impressive 182 weeks, capturing the hearts of many.
With lyrics about “finding your true self and having the courage to chase your dreams,” it’s perfect for a school relay race—sure to give kids hope and energy.
Listen to it before running to get everyone pumped up together!
The Zero Sense10-FEET
Created as the ending theme song for the film THE FIRST SLAM DUNK, this track focuses on basketball, expressing the passion of chasing dreams and the resolve to face hardships.
In December 2022, it was included on the album Collins and drew significant attention as the movie’s ending theme.
Symbolically portraying the doubts and traps players confront—and the strength to overcome them and achieve their goals—this song seems like a perfect fit for a relay race where runners give their all on the track amid intense pressure.
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS
Released in 2016 as one of the soundtrack pieces for the animated film “Your Name,” this song became RADWIMPS’ first album to reach No.
1 on the Oricon charts.
When the film was released in North America and Canada the following year, an English version was also made available.
This well-known, upbeat track is the kind of song that would really amp up the excitement if played during a relay race at a school sports day.
SignalWANIMA
WANIMA is a band that brings us a variety of masterpieces that make our hearts swell when we listen.
All of their songs are perfect for sports days, aren’t they? But if you’re looking for a track that fits a relay, we recommend “Signal”! Its signature, comfortable sense of speed and lyrics that tell you “hard work never goes to waste” will hype up the relay and support the runners’ spirits.
The song is included on their 2018 album Everybody!!.
Teenager ForeverKing Gnu
King Gnu are rapidly permeating not only among music fans but also into living rooms across the country.
The way the song starts and the imagery in the music video make a huge impact, don’t they? When it comes to recent J-pop “running songs,” many people probably think of Teenager Forever.
The frantic expressions while they run are striking, making it the perfect track for a relay—so recklessly earnest.
Even in the sound, amidst the trickiness, there’s a driving momentum that makes you want to bounce along.
Listening to this song might even make you faster on your feet!
