Nairobi will make history as the first African host of the World Athletics Championships, bringing the global event to Kenya in 2029…reports Africa Daily News Desk
Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Kenya the first African country to stage the sport’s flagship global event, while Munich has been selected to host the 2031 edition.
The decision, announced following the World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, marks a historic moment for African athletics and represents a major boost for Kenya, one of the world’s most successful distance-running nations.
Nairobi saw off bids from London, Rome and Munich for the 2029 championships, while Munich was chosen for 2031. The two cities were selected from four bids after what World Athletics described as one of the strongest bidding processes in the history of the event.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the decision would help expand the championships across different regions, with the next three editions taking the event to Asia, Africa and Europe.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” Coe said.
“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport.”
For Nairobi, the award represents a breakthrough for a continent that has produced generations of world-class athletes but has never previously hosted the World Athletics Championships.
Africa has staged a growing number of major athletics events in recent years. Kampala hosted the World Cross Country Championships in 2017, while Nairobi staged the World U18 Championships that year and the World U20 Championships in 2021.
Gaborone hosted the World Athletics Relays in 2026, the first edition of that competition to be held in Africa.
The senior World Athletics Championships, however, had remained outside the continent until now. The championships are among the biggest events in global sport, bringing together the world’s leading track and field athletes.
Kenya’s long association with athletics was central to Nairobi’s successful bid. The country is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history and has produced stars including Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha, Hellen Obiri, Vivian Cheruiyot and Kip Keino.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” Coe said.
“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country.”
Nairobi also has substantial experience of staging international athletics competitions. The city hosts the Kip Keino Classic, which has been part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold since the tour began in 2020.
Kasarani Stadium is undergoing a major structural upgrade ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda. The 48,000-capacity venue is expected to form a key part of the infrastructure for the 2029 championships.
The successful bid comes after Kenya previously sought to host the 2025 World Championships, which were ultimately awarded to Tokyo. World Athletics said Nairobi returned with a stronger proposition built around its experience, upgraded facilities, financial guarantees and the country’s strong public interest in athletics.
The decision prompted celebrations among African athletics figures.
Two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie congratulated the continent on what he described as “wonderful news”.
Kenyan javelin world champion Julius Yego said the decision was “a huge thing for Africa”.
“I’m so happy that the world will come to Kenya,” Yego told the BBC World Service. “Africa has produced the best of athletes but we’ve never had a chance to witness such a big championship.”
Kenyan President William Ruto also welcomed the decision, describing the championships as a victory for generations of athletes and saying the event would be “coming home”.
London’s unsuccessful bid brings an end to hopes of bringing the championships back to the capital, which hosted the 2017 edition at the London Stadium. The city had been among the contenders for 2029 alongside Nairobi, Rome and Munich.
Munich, meanwhile, will bring the championships back to Germany for the third time in 2031, following Berlin’s hosting in 2009. The city’s Olympic Stadium was also the centrepiece of the 2022 European Championships, which attracted around 267,000 spectators for athletics.
The next World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing from September 10 to 19, 2027.
