Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Nairobi, Kenya, has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the flagship global athletics championship will be staged in Africa. World Athletics announced the decision on September 15, 2026, following a meeting of its Council in Budapest, Hungary.
The decision represents a major milestone for Kenya and African athletics, bringing one of the sport’s biggest international events to a continent with a long and distinguished history in track and field.
World Athletics said Nairobi and Munich were selected to host the 2029 and 2031 championships respectively after what it described as one of the strongest bidding processes in the history of the event.
The 2029 championship will be staged in September, with Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium expected to serve as the principal venue. The stadium is currently undergoing a major renovation ahead of its planned use for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, two years before the World Athletics Championships.
Africa to Host Athletics’ Flagship Championship for the First Time
Nairobi’s selection ends a long wait for Africa to host the World Athletics Championships.
Although the continent has hosted several major World Athletics competitions, the senior World Athletics Championships had never previously been held in Africa. World Athletics said Nairobi’s successful bid represents a historic step in the global development of the sport.
The decision also builds on a growing record of major international athletics events being held on the continent.
Nairobi hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and the World U20 Championships in 2021, while Kampala, Uganda, hosted the World Cross Country Championships in 2017. Botswana’s Gaborone hosted the World Athletics Relays in 2026, becoming the first African host of that event.
For World Athletics, those competitions have helped demonstrate that African cities can provide the infrastructure, organisation and audience required for major global athletics events.
Nairobi’s experience has been particularly significant. The Kenyan capital previously bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships, but Tokyo was ultimately selected. The city returned with a new bid for 2029 backed by its experience in organising international competitions and plans for upgraded facilities.
Kenya’s Strong Athletics Tradition Strengthened the Bid
Kenya’s position as one of the world’s leading athletics nations was central to Nairobi’s successful campaign.
World Athletics said Kenya is the second-most successful nation in the history of the World Athletics Championships. At the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Kenya finished second on the medal table after winning seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.
The country has also produced some of the most influential athletes in the history of the sport, including Olympic and world champions such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha, Vivian Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri and Kip Keino.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Kenya’s connection with athletics was an important part of Nairobi’s successful bid.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid,” Coe said, describing the decision to take the championships to Africa as historic.
He added that athletics is deeply connected to Kenyan society and that Nairobi had demonstrated that the country was ready to host the event.
Strong Public Interest in Athletics
Kenya’s enthusiasm for athletics was another factor highlighted by World Athletics.
According to fan research cited by the governing body, 68 percent of Kenyans surveyed rated their interest in athletics as high, compared with a global average of 39 percent. World Athletics also said athletics is Kenya’s second-most-followed sport, behind football.
That level of public interest could give Nairobi 2029 a strong home audience while also creating an opportunity to showcase Kenyan athletics culture to an international audience.
The country has already demonstrated its ability to attract large crowds to major athletics competitions. World Athletics noted the strong attendance at the 2017 World U18 Championships at Kasarani Stadium and the growth of the Kip Keino Classic, which became part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series after the tour was launched in 2020.
Kasarani Stadium at the Centre of Preparations
Infrastructure will be one of the most important elements of Nairobi’s preparations.
Kasarani Stadium is undergoing a comprehensive renovation ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. World Athletics said the upgraded facility will form part of the foundation for Nairobi’s 2029 championship preparations.
The two-year gap between the 2027 football tournament and the 2029 athletics championship could provide Kenya with an opportunity to test and further improve the renovated facilities through major international competition.
However, hosting a World Athletics Championships involves more than the main stadium. Nairobi will need to ensure that accommodation, transportation, security, training facilities, medical services, broadcasting infrastructure and wider event operations meet international standards.
The event is expected to bring thousands of athletes and officials from around the world to Kenya, creating significant logistical demands for the capital.
What the 2029 Championships Mean for Kenya
The award is strategically important beyond athletics.
Hosting the World Athletics Championships gives Kenya an opportunity to strengthen its international reputation as a sports destination and potentially generate wider benefits for tourism, hospitality, transport and other sectors connected to major international events.
It also places Nairobi at the centre of global athletics for the duration of the championships.
For young African athletes, the significance could be even greater. Bringing the world’s leading track and field athletes to Africa could increase exposure to elite competition and demonstrate that major international athletics events can be successfully staged on the continent.
The championship could therefore contribute to the broader development of athletics in Africa if the infrastructure and organisational knowledge generated by the event are retained after 2029.
A Wider Moment for African Athletics
Nairobi’s selection comes at a time when World Athletics has increasingly expanded major events across different regions.
The organisation has pointed to the successful staging of competitions in African cities as evidence of the continent’s growing capacity to host international athletics.
The 2029 championship will nevertheless represent a significantly larger undertaking.
World Athletics describes its flagship championships as a nine-day event featuring 50 athletics events and bringing together around 2,000 of the world’s leading track and field athletes from more than 195 nations.
That scale means Nairobi will have to deliver an event capable of meeting the expectations of athletes, spectators, broadcasters, sponsors and athletics federations from around the world.
What Happens Next
The immediate focus will be on preparations for the 2029 event, including the continued redevelopment of Kasarani Stadium and wider infrastructure planning.
Before Nairobi hosts the championships, the next edition will take place in Beijing, China, from September 11 to 19, 2027. Nairobi will then become the first African city to host the senior World Athletics Championships in 2029, followed by Munich in Germany in 2031.
For Kenya, the award provides four years to prepare for an event that will put Nairobi and African athletics on the global stage.
The significance of the decision extends beyond the competition itself. It is a recognition of Kenya’s longstanding contribution to athletics and a major test of Africa’s growing ability to host the world’s biggest sporting events.
Nairobi 2029 will therefore be more than a championship on the athletics calendar. It will be a landmark moment for Kenyan sport and a historic opportunity for Africa to demonstrate its capacity to stage a global athletics event at the highest level.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- World Athletics — Official announcement on Nairobi and Munich hosting the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships.
- Reuters — Report on Nairobi’s selection and Kenya’s preparations for the 2029 championships.
- World Athletics — Overview of the World Athletics Championships and event scale.
- World Athletics — Beijing 2027 official event information.
