Kenya has won the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, defeating competition from the United Kingdom in a historic victory for African athletics.
The decision was announced at the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest, confirming Nairobi as the first African city to host the global flagship athletics event.
Nairobi had previously bid to host the 2025 championships, but the event was awarded to Tokyo. The Kenyan capital has, however, successfully hosted major international athletics competitions, including the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised Nairobi’s successful bid, describing it as “compelling and emotional” while highlighting Kenya’s deep-rooted connection with athletics.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” Coe said.
“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country.”
Meanwhile, World Athletics also announced that Munich, Germany, will host the 2031 World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium.
The decision will see the championships return to Germany for the first time since the 2009 edition was held in Berlin.
Coe described Germany as an experienced and reliable host of major athletics competitions, praising its track record of successfully staging international events.
