Nairobi To Make History as First African Host of World Athletics Championships
Nairobi will make athletics history in 2029 after Kenya was selected to host the World Athletics Championships, making the country the first in Africa to stage the sport’s biggest global championship.
The landmark decision was taken by the World Athletics Council at its 242nd meeting in Budapest on Tuesday, ending years of anticipation for the championships to be brought to the African continent.
Kenya’s selection represents a major breakthrough for African athletics and places Nairobi at the centre of the global sport when the world’s best athletes converge on the Kenyan capital in 2029.
The historic hosting rights will also underline Kenya’s position as one of the world’s greatest athletics nations and build on Nairobi’s growing reputation as a major international athletics destination.
Nairobi previously hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and the World U20 Championships in 2021, while the Kip Keino Classic has become one of Africa’s premier one-day meetings since joining the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold in 2020.
The city’s bid was further strengthened by plans for the complete renovation of Kasarani Stadium, which is being upgraded ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s successful bid as ‘compelling and emotional’, stressing that Kenya had demonstrated that the time was right for Africa to host the championships.
‘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.’
Kenya’s extraordinary athletics pedigree was a key part of the successful bid. The country is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history and won seven gold medals and 11 medals overall at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The country has also produced some of the greatest names in athletics history, including Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri, David Rudisha and two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino.
The 2029 championships will be held in September, two years after Beijing hosts the 2027 edition.
