Photo via Athletics Weekly

Nairobi beat London in race to stage 2029 World Athletics Champs

Nairobi will stage the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first occasion the competition is held on African soil. The choice was finalized during the 242nd World Athletics Council gathering in Budapest, where the Kenyan capital overcame rival proposals from London, Rome, and Munich, the latter of which secured hosting rights for 2031 to bring the event back to Germany for the first time since Berlin in 2009.

The outcome serves as a setback for London's bid group Athletic Ventures—comprising UK Athletics, London Marathon Events, and the Great Run Company—which had earmarked the London Stadium, pledged up to £45 million in municipal and government funds, and projected over £400 million in financial uplift. After falling short to Tokyo for the 2025 event due to facility timeline issues, Nairobi will anchor the 2029 edition at the 48,000-seat Kasarani Stadium, a facility undergoing reconstruction ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya brings previous major hosting pedigree, having staged the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Under-18 Championships, the 2021 World Under-20 Championships, and annual Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour Gold stops since 2020. Emphasizing Kenya's deep running culture, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe highlighted celebrated icons Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri, David Rudisha, Kip Keino, Paul Tergat, and Tegla Loroupe.