NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 World Athletics Championships in a landmark decision that will bring the sport’s premier global outdoor competition to Africa for the first time.
The decision was announced on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest, Hungary.
Nairobi emerged successful from a competitive selection process that also considered bids from London, Rome and Munich for the 2029 and 2031 editions.
World Athletics confirmed that Nairobi will host the 2029 championships, while Munich, Germany, was awarded the 2031 edition.
Historic first for Africa
The 2029 championships will be the first senior World Athletics Championships to be held on African soil, marking a major milestone for Kenya and the continent’s athletics community.
Kenya has long been one of the world’s leading athletics nations, particularly in distance running, and Nairobi’s selection gives the country an opportunity to showcase its athletics heritage on the sport’s biggest stage.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the council had been presented with four strong bids and faced a difficult decision.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” Coe said.
He said Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented compelling proposals offering different opportunities for the sport.
“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,” Coe added.
Nairobi returns with stronger bid
Nairobi’s successful bid comes after Kenya previously sought to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships but lost out.
The capital returned to the bidding process with a proposal backed by financial guarantees, operational plans, international event-hosting experience and plans to upgrade its athletics infrastructure.
The city has previously hosted major global athletics events, including the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Under-20 Championships.
Kenya’s annual international athletics events have also helped build Nairobi’s credentials as a host city.
World Athletics said public interest in athletics was another factor supporting Kenya’s bid, with 68 per cent of surveyed Kenyans reporting high interest in the sport compared with a global average of 39 per cent.
Kenya’s athletics pedigree
Kenya’s selection reflects its longstanding position as one of the most successful countries in the history of the World Athletics Championships.
The country has consistently featured among the leading medal-winning nations, with distance-running stars helping establish Kenya as a global athletics powerhouse.
Kenya won seven gold medals among its 11 medals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The 2029 championships will therefore give Kenyan athletes the opportunity to compete for global honours in front of a home crowd.
Infrastructure preparations
The award comes as Kenya continues to invest in major sports infrastructure.
Among the projects expected to contribute to the country’s hosting capacity is the multibillion-shilling Talanta Sports City development, alongside rehabilitation and upgrades at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo National Stadium.
The successful bid will require Nairobi and Kenya to deliver the infrastructure, accommodation, transport, security and operational arrangements necessary to stage one of athletics’ biggest global events.
World Athletics’ bidding process assesses factors including the quality and ambition of proposals, operational readiness and the host’s commitment to staging the championships.
Beijing to host 2027 championships
Nairobi will take over hosting duties two years after the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, scheduled for September 10–19, 2027.
The Nairobi championships will subsequently become a defining moment for African athletics, with the world’s leading track and field stars expected to descend on the Kenyan capital.
For Kenya, the event will be more than an opportunity to showcase its athletes. It will test the country’s ability to host one of the world’s biggest athletics competitions and establish Africa as a major destination for global track and field events.
