Kenya Awaits Verdict as World Athletics Council Decides 2029 World Championships Host Today

Kenya holds its collective breath today, Tuesday, September 15, 2026, as the World Athletics Council convenes in Budapest, Hungary, to officially select the host cities for both the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships.

Nairobi's ambitious bid seeks to bring track and field's pinnacle outdoor event to African soil for the very first time in history.

Should the World Athletics Council award the hosting rights to the Kenyan capital for either edition, it will mark a landmark moment for global athletics, establishing Africa as a premier destination for world-class sporting showpieces.

Kenya’s campaign to host the marquee event at the Moi International Sports Stadium, Kasarani, comes backed by an unmatched track record of distance-running excellence.

Ranking second on the all-time World Athletics Championships medal table, and top among African nations, with 182 total medals (72 gold, 60 silver, and 50 bronze), the country’s athletic pedigree has long earned it the right to stage the global flagship event.

Speaking ahead of the Council's decision, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi expressed confidence that Kenya has met every technical and administrative benchmark required by the governing body.

"We hope by September 15, when the World Athletics Council announces the host of the 2029 World Championships, Kenya will be selected. Kenya is a sporting nation. At the world level, we have dominated athletics for years, especially in the marathon and distance races. That is why the 2029 bid is so critical for us," he said.

"Kenyans should be prepared to receive the great news that we will host the 2029 World Championships. The benefits of hosting are enormous. Our athletes, who usually compete internationally, will have the rare privilege of chasing global honours on home soil. Winning this bid means Africa hosts the championship for the first time, proving that we have truly come of age in sports."

Nairobi’s bid is fortified by extensive experience in organising major international track and field events over the past two decades.

The capital successfully staged the 2017 World Athletics U18 Championships and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships, alongside the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa and the annual World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, the Kip Keino Classic.

Furthermore, recent hosting duties for multi-sport events like the WRC Safari Rally, the Magical Kenya Open, and the African Nations Championship (CHAN) have demonstrated Kenya's expanding sports infrastructure and event delivery capabilities.

Highlighting the nation's readiness to deliver a seamless event, PS Mwangi added: "We have successfully hosted big events like CHAN last year, the annual Safari Rally, and major golf tournaments, so we know we can deliver."

While Nairobi's bid carries massive historical weight, the decision will not come without intense competition. Kenya faces formidable opposition from three established European sports hubs: London (Great Britain), Rome (Italy), and Munich (Germany).

Each of the bidding cities boasts a rich legacy of major international events. London hosted the 2017 World Athletics Championships and three Olympic Games (1908, 1948, 2012).

Rome hosted the 1960 Olympics and the 1987 World Athletics Championships, while Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 2022 European Athletics Championships.

Despite the pedigree of its European rivals, Kenya submitted a flexible joint bid to secure either the 2029 or 2031 edition, maximising its opportunity to land the global showpiece.

Chaired by World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe, the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest will officially unveil the winning hosts during a virtual announcement streamed live to global media.