Kenya to host 2029 World Athletics Championships in African first

Kenya will make history in 2029 after being selected to host the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African nation to stage the senior global athletics event.

The championships will be held in Nairobi, with the 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium set to serve as the main venue. Nairobi beat competing bids from London and Rome, while Munich was chosen to host the 2031 edition.

Kenya’s impressive athletics pedigree played a major role in its successful bid. The East African country has won 72 World Championship gold medals and 38 Olympic gold medals, with most of its success coming in middle- and long-distance events.

The country ranks among the most successful nations in World Championships history. Legendary marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion who also won 5,000m gold at the 2003 World Championships, was among the prominent figures who supported Nairobi’s bid.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described Kenya’s proposal as “compelling and emotional”, while praising the country’s deep connection with the sport.

“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations,” Coe said, adding that athletics is “woven into the fabric of the country.”

He said bringing the World Championships to Africa was important and that Nairobi had demonstrated it was ready to take on the responsibility.

The decision marks a major milestone for the continent, which has never previously hosted the senior World Athletics Championships despite producing many of the sport’s greatest stars.

Kenya also pointed to its experience hosting major international athletics competitions, including the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships in Nairobi, as well as the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.

The country had previously attempted to host the 2025 edition but lost the bid to Tokyo, with infrastructure concerns identified as one of its weaknesses.

For the 2029 bid, Kenya highlighted improvements to its existing sporting facilities as evidence of its preparedness. The country is also upgrading stadiums ahead of co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Tanzania and Uganda.

Kasarani Stadium is currently undergoing a major structural renovation as part of preparations to host matches during the continental football tournament.