Kenya Make History, Beat UK To Win 2029 World Athletics Hosting Rights
Kenya have won the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships after defeating a rival bid from the United Kingdom, securing a landmark moment for African athletics.
The decision was announced on Tuesday at the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest, with Nairobi selected to stage the global showpiece in 2029.
The event will be the first World Athletics Championships to be held on African soil, marking a historic breakthrough for the continent and a major milestone for Kenya, one of the world's leading athletics nations.
Nairobi had previously failed in its bid to host the 2025 championships, with Tokyo eventually awarded the event. However, Kenya's capital has a strong record of staging major athletics competitions, having hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and the World U20 Championships in 2021.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi's successful bid as compelling and emotional, while highlighting Kenya's deep connection with the sport.
“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.”
The 2029 championships will therefore represent a major moment for African sport, bringing the world's top track and field athletes to the continent for the first time.
Meanwhile, Munich has been selected to host the 2031 World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium.
The event will return to Germany for the first time since Berlin hosted the championships in 2009.
Coe also praised Germany's record as a host of major international sporting events, describing the country as an “outstanding and dependable” venue for global athletics.
The decision was announced on Tuesday at the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest, with Nairobi selected to stage the global showpiece in 2029.
The event will be the first World Athletics Championships to be held on African soil, marking a historic breakthrough for the continent and a major milestone for Kenya, one of the world's leading athletics nations.
Nairobi had previously failed in its bid to host the 2025 championships, with Tokyo eventually awarded the event. However, Kenya's capital has a strong record of staging major athletics competitions, having hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and the World U20 Championships in 2021.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi's successful bid as compelling and emotional, while highlighting Kenya's deep connection with the sport.
“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.”
The 2029 championships will therefore represent a major moment for African sport, bringing the world's top track and field athletes to the continent for the first time.
Meanwhile, Munich has been selected to host the 2031 World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium.
The event will return to Germany for the first time since Berlin hosted the championships in 2009.
Coe also praised Germany's record as a host of major international sporting events, describing the country as an “outstanding and dependable” venue for global athletics.
