Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city to stage the sport’s flagship event after the World Athletics Council selected it over London, Rome and Munich at its 242nd meeting in Budapest on Tuesday. Munich will host the following edition in 2031.
The decision, confirmed by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on September 15, 2026, closes out a bidding contest Nairobi entered twice — having lost the race for the 2025 championships to Tokyo — and comes five years after Kenya’s capital last hosted a global athletics event, the 2021 World U20 Championships.
Why did Nairobi win the bid?
Coe described the contest as one of the strongest in the event’s history. “We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” he said in a statement released by World Athletics. “Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.”
World Athletics pointed to a decade of experience behind Nairobi’s proposal: the city hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017, when Kasarani Stadium drew capacity crowds, and the World U20 Championships in 2021. The Kip Keino Classic has also run as a Continental Tour Gold meeting since 2020, giving organisers a proven annual event to point to during the evaluation.
Kenya’s audience numbers made the case too. World Athletics’ own fan research found 68% of Kenyans surveyed rated their interest in athletics as high, against a 39% global average — the highest of any market surveyed — and Kenya ranks fourth worldwide for followers of World Athletics’ social channels. On the medal table, Kenya finished second at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo with seven golds and 11 medals overall, behind only the United States.
How the four bids compared
| City | Key strength | Championships history |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi (winner, 2029) | Government-backed bid, renovated Kasarani Stadium, highest fan-interest score of any market | 2017 World U18s, 2021 World U20s |
| Munich (winner, 2031) | Olympiapark venue, 267,000 spectators at 2022 European Championships | Last German edition: Berlin 2009 |
| London | London Stadium, proven commercial draw | Hosted 2017 World Championships |
| Rome | Government financial guarantees, Stadio Olimpico | Would have been first since 1987 |
What happens to Kasarani Stadium now?
Nairobi’s bid leaned heavily on a renovation already under way at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which is undergoing what World Athletics called “a complete structural overhaul of all facilities.” The upgrade is being carried out ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya is co-hosting with Uganda and Tanzania — meaning the stadium gets a continental football tournament as a dry run two years before it welcomes the world’s track and field elite.
President William Ruto, who personally lobbied World Athletics delegates in Budapest last month, framed the government as guarantor of the bid, telling the council that “our iconic stadia, including the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, have undergone comprehensive modernization to meet and exceed the highest international standards,” and promising visa-on-arrival access and dedicated security arrangements for the championships.
What does hosting mean for Kenya?
Beyond the stadium itself, a World Athletics Championships is one of the largest single-sport events outside the Olympics, typically drawing well over 2,000 athletes from 200-plus member federations along with broadcast crews and travelling fans across roughly ten days of competition. For Nairobi, the announcement lands alongside two other major venue projects already under way: the multibillion-shilling Talanta Stadium and parallel rehabilitation work at Nyayo National Stadium, giving the city three major venues in some stage of upgrade heading toward the end of the decade.
The championships will fall in September 2029, following the pattern set for recent editions, and come two years after Beijing hosts the 2027 championships from September 10-19. That sequencing means the event will move from Asia to Africa to Europe across three straight editions — a spread Coe said reflects World Athletics’ push to grow the sport outside its traditional European base.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly will the 2029 World Athletics Championships take place?
World Athletics has said the event will be held in September 2029, in line with recent editions, but has not yet released exact dates.
Why did Nairobi lose its bid for the 2025 championships?
Nairobi bid for 2025 but lost out to Tokyo. World Athletics said the city returned for 2029 with a stronger, more experienced proposal built on hosting the 2017 and 2021 world junior championships.
Where will the championships be held in Nairobi?
Kasarani Stadium, formally the Moi International Sports Centre, is the anchor venue named in Nairobi’s bid. It is currently being renovated ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Has an African country hosted a World Athletics Championships before?
No. The 2029 edition will be the first time the outdoor World Athletics Championships is held anywhere in Africa, though the continent has hosted smaller World Athletics events, including the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.
Who else bid for the 2029 or 2031 championships?
London, Rome and Munich all bid for the two editions. Munich was awarded 2031; London and Rome missed out on both.
For background on how Nairobi’s bid was pitched to World Athletics delegates before Tuesday’s decision, see 254.ke’s earlier report: Kenya’s 2029 World Athletics Bid: Decision Due Sept 15. Kenya’s broader athletics season continues at home too — read about Kimorwo’s push for 10,000m glory at the Kip Keino Classic and the handover of the country’s sports docket from Murkomen to Mvurya.
More on World Athletics’ Nairobi 2029 announcement is available on the governing body’s own site: World Athletics press release.
By the 254.ke Newsroom.
