Kenya Wins Bid to Host 2029 World Athletics Championships
Nairobi, Kenya, will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city to stage the global track and field showpiece. World Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday following a council meeting in Budapest, with Nairobi beating competing bids from London, Munich and Rome. Munich was selected to host the 2031 edition, while Beijing had already been awarded the 2027 championships. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the decision as significant, saying the next three editions would take the championships to Asia, Africa and Europe. Coe said taking the event to Africa for the first time was historic and praised Nairobi’s bid as compelling, adding that Kenya had demonstrated it was ready to use the championships to accelerate the development of athletics across the continent. Kenya had previously bid unsuccessfully to host the 2025 championships but has a strong record of staging major athletics events, including the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi.
The 2029 championships will be staged at the renovated Kasarani Stadium, which is undergoing a major overhaul ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Coe said Nairobi’s experience from its previous bid helped the country return with a stronger proposal and praised Kenya’s deep connection with athletics and its passionate fan base. He also highlighted the achievements of Kenyan stars, including Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon, who he said had helped shape the history of the sport. Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya welcomed the decision, saying it affirmed Kenya’s position at the heart of global athletics and would allow the world to experience a country where running is deeply embedded in its national identity. Coe said Munich, which hosted the 2022 European Athletics Championships, had also demonstrated its ability to stage major athletics events and would provide a strong host for the 2031 championships. He defended the decision to take three consecutive World Athletics Championships outside Europe, saying the governing body had a responsibility to expand the sport’s global footprint and give more regions the opportunity to host its biggest events.
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