By Athletics Kenya Media Team
Nairobi is set to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships after a historic announcement by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on Tuesday, handing Africa its first-ever senior global athletics showpiece.
The landmark decision was reached during the 242nd World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, Hungary, where Nairobi emerged victorious ahead of compelling bids from Munich, Rome and London. It marks the first time in history that the World Athletics Championships will be staged on African soil.
Coe revealed that the race to host both the 2029 and 2031 editions attracted exceptional interest, making the Council’s decision one of its most competitive in recent years.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council. The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underline the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships,” Coe said.
What Sebastian Coe said about Nairobi hosting World Athletics Championships
He added that the successful bids reflect World Athletics’ vision of expanding the sport’s global footprint.
“With this Council decision today, we continue to fulfil our mission of growing athletics worldwide with the hosting of our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa and Europe over its next three editions,” he said.
The 2031 edition will be held in Munich, Germany. Coe praised both winning cities, saying they each presented powerful cases to host the sport’s premier event.
“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport, and I am delighted that we can now begin working with both cities to stage two world-class championships.”
The 2029 championships will build on Kenya’s growing reputation as a proven host of major World Athletics competitions.
Kenya has already demonstrated its capability to stage world-class athletics competitions, having hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships in Nairobi and the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships, also in Nairobi.
