Nairobi Awarded 2029 World Athletics Championships in Historic First for Africa

Nairobi, Kenya, has officially been awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Munich, Germany, designated to host the 2031 edition following the announcement by the World Athletics Council in Budapest.

This historic decision brings the outdoor World Athletics Championships to African soil for the very first time, centred at Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium, before returning to Europe two years later at Munich's legendary Olympiastadion.

The World Athletics Council’s decision to award the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships follows months of intense international lobbying.

Four major contenders, Nairobi, London, Rome, and Munich, entered the selection process in Budapest, Hungary, each offering distinct advantages for staging track and field’s flagship outdoor event.

At the centre of attention was Nairobi's government-backed bid to bring the World Athletics Championships to African soil for the first time in the event's history.

Anchored by a personal guarantee from President William Ruto, Kenya aimed to leverage its decades of distance-running dominance to create a landmark milestone for the sport.

Kenya's credentials are built on a solid track record of hosting global athletics competitions, including the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, as well as the 2017 World Under-18 and 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi.

Proponents emphasised that awarding the flagship event to Nairobi would accelerate regional sports infrastructure while honouring the continent that has produced many of the sport's greatest stars.

Nairobi faced formidable competition from three European sporting capitals, including London (United Kingdom), who were returning to the bid process after hosting the highly successful 2017 World Championships.

London presented a proposal centred on the London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Supported by Athletics Ventures and the Mayor of London's office, the British capital highlighted its proven commercial draw and capacity to fill major stadiums.

Rome (Italy) was backed by official financial guarantees from the Italian government. Rome sought to bring the World Championships back to the Stadio Olimpico for the first time since 1987. Italy built its momentum following successful hosting duties for the European Athletics Championships and strong recent international performances.

Munich (Germany) capitalised on the successful execution of multi-sport events at the historic Olympiastadion. Munich’s bid offered deep organisational expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, backed by Germany's rich history of staging premier global championships.

World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe and the Council opted to award both the 2029 and 2031 hosting rights simultaneously during their 242nd Council Meeting.

This dual-award strategy provides long-term operational certainty for event organisers, local host committees, and broadcast partners as the sport plans its global calendar through the decade.