Nairobi, Kenya, will host the 2029 World Outdoor Athletics Championships after beating bids from London, Munich and Rome to become the first African city to stage the global event.
World Athletics announced the decision after a council meeting in Budapest, with Munich selected to host the 2031 championships. Beijing had already been awarded the 2027 edition.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the decision to take the championships to Africa for the first time as historic, saying Nairobi presented a compelling bid and was considered the right host at the right time and under the right circumstances.
Coe said Nairobi’s successful bid was strengthened by Kenya’s deep athletics culture, strong fan engagement and the ongoing renovation of the Kasarani Stadium, which is also being upgraded ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
He said hosting the championships in Nairobi would help accelerate the development of athletics in Kenya and across Africa, while leaving a legacy capable of inspiring the continent.
Kenya had previously bid unsuccessfully to host the 2025 World Championships. The country has, however, hosted several 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.
Nairobi also hosted the 2010 African Athletics Championships.
Coe said the Nairobi team had learned from its previous 2025 bid and returned with a stronger proposition. He specifically highlighted the ongoing complete overhaul of Kasarani Stadium as an important part of the successful bid.
He also described athletics as being woven into the fabric of Kenya, citing world and Olympic middle-distance star Faith Kipyegon among Kenyan athletes who have shaped the history of the sport.
Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya welcomed the decision, saying it affirmed Kenya’s place at the heart of World Athletics.
Mvurya said the championship would come to a country where running is more than competition and where successive generations believe the next world champion can emerge from Kenya.
Meanwhile, Coe described Munich as an outstanding and creative host for major athletics events, noting that Germany has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to stage major competitions.
He said Munich 2031 has all the ingredients to deliver a spectacular World Athletics Championships, having previously hosted the 2022 European Athletics Championships at the city’s Olympic Park.
Coe also defended the decision to take three consecutive editions of the World Championships outside Europe, despite acknowledging Europe’s importance as a traditional heartland of athletics.
He said World Athletics, which comprises more than 200 federations, has a responsibility to take its championships to regions where the sport can strategically expand its global footprint.
Coe added that there was already significant interest in hosting the 2028 edition of the Ultimate Championship, a three-day, season-ending competition created to bring together the best athletes in the sport.
Kenya, Nairobi2029, WorldAthletics, Athletics, Africa, KasaraniStadium, FaithKipyegon
