D-Day Fast Approaching as Nairobi Awaits 2029 World Athletics Verdict

The fate of Nairobi's ambitious bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships will be decided on Tuesday, September 15, as Africa waits to see if it will host the prestigious event for the first time.

World Athletics is set to announce the hosts for both the 2029 and 2031 championships, with a continent holding its breath for a landmark decision.

Nairobi faces stiff competition from three European powerhouses, Rome, Munich, and London. The final days have seen intense, discreet lobbying from all four candidate cities as they vie for the honour of staging track and field's premier competition. The decision now rests with a vote by the World Athletics Council.

Before the council members cast their votes, a Bid Evaluation Panel, which has conducted site visits to all four cities, will present its formal report and recommendations. This assessment is based on a range of logistical, financial, and technical criteria.

Nairobi's Sh25 billion proposal aims to make history by bringing the senior championships to Africa. London, which hosted a successful event in 2017, is banking on a £45 million public investment to bring the competition back to the Olympic Stadium.

Rome, the host of the second-ever World Championships in 1987, is leveraging Italy's deep athletics heritage and its recent experience hosting the 2024 European Athletics Championships.

Meanwhile, Munich hopes to build on the success of the 2022 multi-sport European Championships and Germany's previous hosting of the World Championships in Berlin in 2009.

The World Athletics Council will convene for critical boardroom sessions at the Dorothea Hotel in Budapest following the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship this weekend. After three days of deliberation, the governing body will reveal its decision.

The announcement will be made during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, September 17, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Kenyan time. Each of the four cities is in the running to host either the 2029 or 2031 edition.

As the announcement looms, the continent holds its breath, hoping that the long wait for a World Athletics Championships on African soil is finally over.