Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city to stage the global outdoor track and field event, World Athletics announced on Tuesday.
The Kenyan capital beat bids from London, Munich and Rome for the 2029 championships, while Munich was selected to host the 2031 edition following a World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe told a news conference.
The 2027 championships have already been awarded to Beijing.
‘Historic’ first for Africa
Coe called Nairobi’s selection a historic moment for African athletics and praised the city’s bid as compelling.
“Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” Coe said, adding that Nairobi had shown it was ready to help accelerate the development of athletics in Kenya and across the continent.
The decision means the next three editions of the championships will be staged across Asia, Africa and Europe, with Beijing in 2027, Nairobi in 2029 and Munich in 2031.
Nairobi builds on athletics legacy
Kenya previously bid unsuccessfully to host the 2025 championships but has a long record of staging major international athletics events.
Mombasa hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships, while Nairobi hosted the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and World Under-20 Championships in 2021. The capital also staged the 2010 African Athletics Championships.
Coe said Nairobi had returned with a stronger bid after learning from its previous campaign.
The city’s Kasarani Stadium is undergoing a major renovation ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, further strengthening its infrastructure for the championships.
Coe said Nairobi had demonstrated that “this is their moment” to create a lasting legacy for athletics in Kenya and across Africa.
