Kenya has won the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African nation to stage the event.
World Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday after a council meeting in Budapest, Hungary, according to AFP. Nairobi beat bids from London, Munich and Rome to secure the 2029 edition.
Munich will host the 2031 championships, while Beijing has already been confirmed for 2027.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the decision followed a competitive bidding process among strong contenders.
"We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” Coe said, adding that the next three championships will now span Asia, Africa and Europe.
“Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic. Nairobi has presented a compelling and an emotional bid,” he said, adding that the Kenyan capital had “the right host, bid and conditions to stage the event.”
Kenya previously failed to secure the bid for the 2025 World Championships, which went to Tokyo.
However, Nairobi has hosted several major athletics events before, including the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Under-20 Championships.
Mombasa hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships, and Nairobi staged the 2010 African Athletics Championships.
A Stronger Bid Built On Past Experience
Coe said Nairobi’s latest bid improved on lessons learned from its unsuccessful 2025 attempt. “Having also been part of the bidding process for 2025, the team understood and grasped what was required, and came back with a stronger proposition,” he said.
He also praised the ongoing renovation of Kasarani Stadium, which is undergoing a major upgrade ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) — the continental football tournament Kenya is co-hosting with Uganda and Tanzania.
World Athletics is the international governing body for track and field, responsible for organising the sport’s global championships and setting its competition rules.
“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment to supercharge the development of our sport in Kenya and across Africa,” Coe said.
The 2029 championships will mark the first time the World Athletics Championships take place on African soil.
