Kasarani Stadium./FILENairobi is set to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships after a historic announcement by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on Tuesday.
This hands 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 — a defining moment for Kenya and the continent's rich athletics legacy.
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,” Coe said.
“The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the 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.”
“The 2029 World Championships have been awarded to Nairobi, and the 2031 edition will be held in Munich.”
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. Nairobi successfully staged the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships.
The decision marks a major opportunity for Kenya to showcase its athletics heritage on the global stage and host one of the sport’s biggest competitions.
Kenya is renowned for producing world-class distance runners and has a long association with international athletics. Hosting the championships in Nairobi will bring the global spotlight to the country’s athletics infrastructure and its ability to stage a major international sporting event.
London previously hosted the World Championships in 2017.
