Nairobi To Host 2029 World Athletics Championships In Historic First For Africa

Nairobi has been awarded the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Kenya the first African country to stage the sport’s flagship global event.

The decision by the World Athletics Council on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, ends Kenya’s campaign to bring the championships to the continent after the country submitted its formal bid in August.

Nairobi beat competing bids from London, Rome and Munich. Munich was selected to host the 2031 edition.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s proposal as compelling, with Kenya’s long history and influence in global athletics playing a key role in the successful bid. The decision also represents a major shift for the championships, which have never previously been held in Africa.

The championships will follow the 2027 edition in Beijing, which is scheduled for September 10–19, 2027.

Kenya’s successful bid was backed by the national Government and Athletics Kenya, with authorities highlighting the country’s athletics heritage, experience in hosting major international competitions and ongoing investment in sports infrastructure.

The refurbished Kasarani Stadium was identified as a central component of Nairobi’s bid, while the Government has also been developing other sporting facilities as part of its wider plan to position Kenya as a regional sports hub. Athletics Kenya had previously said improvements at Kasarani and the development of Talanta Sports City had strengthened Nairobi’s case.

Kenya has hosted several major international athletics competitions, including the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi. The capital also hosted the 2010 African Athletics Championships at Nyayo National Stadium.

The country has also established itself as a regular host of top-level athletics through events such as the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Gold Label meeting.

The 2029 championships are expected to provide Kenya with an opportunity to showcase its athletics talent on home soil while exposing Nairobi to thousands of athletes, officials, spectators and international visitors.

For Kenyan athletes, the event will offer the prospect of competing before a home crowd in a country that has produced some of the world’s greatest distance runners.

The successful bid is also a major milestone for Africa, which has long been a powerhouse in athletics but had yet to host the senior World Athletics Championships.

The award comes after a previous unsuccessful Kenyan bid for the 2025 championships. Kenya subsequently renewed its campaign, with President William Ruto personally backing the 2029 bid and leading the country’s final presentation to World Athletics.

The 2029 championships will therefore mark more than just another major sporting event for Nairobi. They will represent the first time athletics’ premier global outdoor competition comes to African soil, bringing the world’s best athletes to the continent and placing Kenya’s capital at the centre of global athletics.

Read: Kenya Steps Up Global Sports Events Bid With 2029 World Athletics Championships

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