Kenya has won the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Nairobi the first African city to stage the prestigious global athletics event.
World Athletics announced the decision following its council meeting in Budapest, with Nairobi selected ahead of competing bids, including London.
The 2029 championships will be held at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, which is currently undergoing renovations ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s bid as compelling and said taking the championships to Africa for the first time would be historic.
Kenya has previously hosted major international athletics competitions, including the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021.
The country also has a strong record at the World Athletics Championships, finishing second on the medal table at the 2025 edition in Tokyo with seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.
London, which had received backing from the UK government for its bid, expressed disappointment after losing out to Nairobi. The UK had hoped to bring the championships back to London, which hosted the 2017 edition.
The 2029 championships will take place in September, following the 2027 edition in Beijing. Munich, Germany, has been selected to host the 2031 championships.
