Nairobi to host first World Athletics Championships on African soil in 2029

Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the event will be held in Africa. The decision is a major recognition of Kenya's rich athletics tradition.

In Short

• Nairobi will become the first African city to host the global championships
• Kenya’s athletics legacy helped secure the 2029 hosting rights
• The event could bring renewed scrutiny of Kenya’s doping record.

The World Athletics Championships will be held in Africa for the first time in 2029, with Kenya's capital Nairobi confirmed as the host city for track and field's premier event.

Kenya is one of the world's leading athletics nations, particularly in distance running, and sits second behind the United States on the all-time World Championships medal table. The championships will return to Germany in 2031, with Munich set to host the event for the first time.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described Nairobi's selection as a historic moment and highlighted Kenya's deep connection with the sport.

"Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic," Coe said after announcing the decision following the Ultimate Championship in Hungary. "Athletics is woven into the fabric of Kenya."

Kenyan sports minister Salim Mvurya also welcomed the decision, saying the event would showcase a country where running has become part of its identity.

PASSIONATE FANS GET MOMENT

Coe said World Athletics research had identified Kenya as the most passionate market for track and field among those surveyed.

Nairobi's hosting bid also benefits from existing infrastructure. The championships will be staged at a stadium that is already being upgraded ahead of Kenya's co-hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations next year.

"It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances," Coe said. "Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment."

The announcement, however, is likely to bring increased scrutiny of Kenya's record on doping. Several elite Kenyan athletes have been suspended over the past decade, including marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich, who is currently serving a three-year ban.

Nairobi beat bids from London and Rome to secure the 2029 championships. London last hosted the event in 2017.

TRADITIONAL WORLDS RETURN

The championships will retain their traditional format, with next year's edition in Beijing running for 10 days and featuring a full programme of events.

That is in contrast to the three-day Ultimate Championship in Budapest, which featured an invitation-only field and large cash prizes instead of the traditional medal-focused format. Events such as the men's triple jump, shot put, race walks and marathon were absent from that competition.

The Ultimate Championship has yet to confirm a host for its 2028 edition, although Coe said there had already been significant interest after its inaugural staging.

"I think the proof of concept worked pretty well. There are things that we will obviously look at and adjust," Coe said.

Before Nairobi takes centre stage in 2029, Beijing will host the next World Athletics Championships, followed by Munich in 2031.

- Ends