Kenya’s capital will become the first African city to stage the World Athletics Championships after beating bids from London, Rome, and Munich.
Nairobi, Kenya (Running Africa) — Nairobi has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making the Kenyan capital the first African city to stage the sport’s flagship global competition.
World Athletics announced the decision following a council meeting in Budapest, selecting Nairobi over rival bids from London, Rome, and Munich. Munich was awarded hosting rights for the 2031 championships.
The decision marks a major milestone for African athletics, bringing the senior World Athletics Championships to the continent for the first time since the competition was launched in 1983.
Nairobi Wins 2029 World Athletics Championships Bid
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised Kenya’s longstanding relationship with athletics and described Nairobi’s bid as “compelling and emotional.”
Kenya has established itself as one of the world’s most successful athletics nations, particularly in middle- and long-distance running, producing generations of Olympic and world champions.
Hosting the 2029 championships will now give the country an opportunity to stage the sport’s biggest event on home soil.
Kasarani Stadium to Host World Athletics Championships
The championships are set to take place at Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani, one of Kenya’s largest sporting venues.
The complex is undergoing renovations ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and will again become the center of international sporting attention when the athletics championships arrive two years later.
Nairobi already has experience hosting major World Athletics competitions. The city staged the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021.
Those events helped establish Kenya’s credentials to host international athletics competitions and laid the groundwork for its successful bid to host the senior championships.
World Athletics Championships Head to Africa for First Time
The 2029 edition will follow the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, continuing the governing body’s efforts to take its flagship competition to major sporting markets worldwide.
For Africa, Nairobi’s selection carries significance beyond Kenya.
African athletes have played a major role in the history of global athletics, yet the continent had never previously hosted the senior outdoor world championships.
Historic Moment for Kenyan Athletics
For Kenya, securing the 2029 World Athletics Championships represents one of the biggest hosting achievements in the country’s sporting history.
Athletics has long been central to Kenya’s international sporting identity, with the country particularly renowned for its success in distance running.
Nairobi will now become the first African city to welcome the world’s leading athletes for the global championships, marking a new chapter for both Kenyan and African athletics.
