Kenya will become the first African country to host the World Athletics Championships after Nairobi won the bid to stage the 2029 edition.
Kenya Map. Photo: Britannica
World Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday following its 242nd Council Meeting, held in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday and Tuesday.
Munich, Germany, was selected to host the 2031 Championships, with Nairobi and Munich emerging as the successful bidders from four proposals for the two editions.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the Council faced a difficult decision because of the quality of the competing bids.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council.
“The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships,” he said.
Coe said Nairobi and Munich ultimately submitted compelling proposals that secured the hosting rights for the respective championships.
“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport.
“I am delighted that we can now begin working with both cities to stage two world-class championships,” he said.
He described Kenya as one of the world’s great athletics nations and said taking the championships to Africa for the first time would be historic.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.
“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations,” Coe said.
The World Athletics president said the organisation wanted the championships to come to Africa when the right conditions and host were available.
“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.
“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment,” he said.
The 2029 Championships will therefore mark the first time the flagship World Athletics event is staged on African soil.
Nairobi has previously hosted major international athletics competitions, including the 2020 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Kip Keino Classic and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.
The 2031 Championships will subsequently be held in Munich, Germany.
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.