NAIROBI — In a decision hailed as a historic milestone for global sport, Nairobi has been officially selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. The announcement, made during the 242nd World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, marks the first time the prestigious event will be held on African soil, ending a long-standing quest to bring the championships to the continent.
Nairobi secured the hosting rights after a rigorous bidding process, ultimately defeating a strong bid from London. During the same meeting, the Council awarded the 2031 World Athletics Championships to Munich, Germany, which will see the event return to the nation for the first time since Berlin hosted in 2009.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe lauded the quality of the bids, noting that Nairobi and Munich stood out as exceptional candidates. Reflecting on the significance of the choice, Coe described the Kenyan capital’s victory as a long-awaited homecoming for the sport.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” Coe stated. “Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country.”
He highlighted the monumental contributions of Kenyan legends, including Kip Keino, Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon, and the late David Rudisha, who have defined generations of excellence. “It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid, and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment,” Coe added.
For Kenya, this victory is a testament to its unmatched athletics pedigree. The nation is the second-most decorated in the history of the World Athletics Championships and recently showcased its dominance by finishing second on the medal table at the 2025 Tokyo Championships, claiming seven gold medals. Beyond the elite performance, Kenya’s bid was bolstered by overwhelming public interest; World Athletics research indicates that the country holds the highest level of athletics engagement among all surveyed global markets.
The championships are expected to be hosted at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive upgrade ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Nairobi’s experience in hosting international events—including the 2017 World U18 Championships, the 2021 World U20 Championships, and the annual Kip Keino Classic—served as a crucial factor in convincing the Council of the city’s operational readiness.
As the global athletics community prepares for the 2027 championships in Beijing, the focus now shifts toward 2029, a year that promises to reshape the international athletics landscape. By bringing the world’s premier track and field event to the heart of East Africa, World Athletics has signaled a new era of inclusivity and recognition for the continent that has provided the sport with so many of its greatest champions.
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