Nairobi has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the event will be staged in Africa.
The decision was made during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest when the Kenyan capital was selected after a competitive bidding process.
The championships will be held at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium, which is undergoing major renovation ahead of hosting matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nairobi has already hosted several major international athletics events, including the World U18 Championships in 2017 and World U20 Championships in 2021. The city also hosts the annual Kip Keino Classic, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Nairobi presented a “compelling and emotional bid”.
It is important that the World Athletics Championships come to Africa with the right host, bid and circumstances , he added. “Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is its moment.”
