Nairobi awarded 2029 World Athletics Championships, first staging in Africa
World Athletics announced on September 15, 2026 that Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the event will be held on African soil. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described the decision as historic, saying: "Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic."
Kenya is highlighted as one of the sport’s leading nations, particularly in distance events, and sits second on the all-time World Championships medal table behind the United States. Nairobi’s bid prevailed over proposals from London and Rome, and the city benefits from existing stadium infrastructure that is already being upgraded ahead of Kenya's co-hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations next year. The announcement followed the Ultimate Championship in Hungary, where Coe made the decision public.
After the announcement Coe emphasised Kenya’s connection to the sport, saying: "Athletics is woven into the fabric of Kenya." He also said World Athletics research identified Kenya as the most passionate market for track and field among those surveyed. Kenyan sports minister Salim Mvurya welcomed the selection, stating the event would showcase a country where running has become part of its identity.
World Athletics underlined practical reasons for the choice, with organisers noting Nairobi had submitted the right bid under the right circumstances. Coe said: "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," and added: "Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment." The combination of political support and stadium upgrades was cited as a factor in the successful bid.
The decision is expected to prompt scrutiny of Kenya’s anti-doping record, with the article noting several elite Kenyan athletes have been suspended over the past decade. It specifically names marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich as currently serving a three-year ban. The coverage points to a backdrop of recent sanctions that will be part of the wider conversation as Nairobi prepares to host.
Organisers confirmed the World Championships will retain their traditional format going forward; next year’s edition in Beijing will run for 10 days and feature a full programme of events. That contrasts with the recent three-day Ultimate Championship in Budapest, which staged an invitation-only field, offered large cash prizes instead of a medal-focused programme and excluded events such as the men's triple jump, shot put, race walks and the marathon.
The Ultimate Championship has not yet confirmed a host for its 2028 edition, although Coe said there had already been significant interest following its inaugural staging and added: "I think the proof of concept worked pretty well. There are things that we will obviously look at and adjust,".
Beijing will host the next World Athletics Championships before Nairobi's 2029 staging, and Munich is set to host the 2031 championships, marking the event's return to Germany for the first time.