Nairobi 2029: Kenya will host the first World Athletics Championships in Africa
World Athletics chose Nairobi for 2029 ahead of three European bids. Here is what was decided, why Nairobi won, and what happens next.
In short: Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the first edition ever held in Africa. World Athletics awarded the event at its 242nd Council meeting in Budapest on 14 and 15 September 2026, and gave the 2031 edition to Munich. Both championships will be held in September.
For the first time in the history of the World Athletics Championships, athletics' global championships are coming to Africa. World Athletics announced on 15 September 2026 that Nairobi will host the 2029 edition, after its Council met in Budapest on 14 and 15 September. The same meeting gave the 2031 championships to Munich.
Four cities bid for the two editions. According to AFP, Nairobi was chosen ahead of London, Rome and Munich, with Munich then taking 2031. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said it was "not an easy decision for the Council". In the World Athletics announcement he added that Nairobi "has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment."
Why Nairobi won
Nairobi had also bid for the 2025 championships, which went to Tokyo. In its announcement, World Athletics pointed to Nairobi's operational planning, its financial guarantees and almost a decade of experience staging major athletics events.
Nairobi staged the World Under-18 Championships in 2017, when big crowds filled Kasarani, and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021. The Kip Keino Classic, held in Nairobi, is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series. Kenya's longer record, as listed by AFP, also includes the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa and the 2010 African Championships in Nairobi.
Kenya's results helped too. World Athletics describes Kenya as the second most successful nation in the history of the World Championships. At Tokyo 2025, Kenya finished second on the medal table with seven gold medals and 11 medals in total. See every Kenyan medal from Tokyo.
The audience is there as well. In research quoted by World Athletics, 68% of Kenyans surveyed rated their interest in athletics as high, against a global average of 39%.
The stadium
The bid is built around a renovated Kasarani Stadium at the Moi International Sports Centre, which is undergoing a full overhaul ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The exact dates of the 2029 championships have not yet been announced; World Athletics says only that both the 2029 and 2031 editions will take place in September.
What Kenya's leaders said
President William Ruto called the decision "Kenya's moment, Africa's moment and a victory for generations of athletes", K24 Digital reported. He also thanked World Athletics for its confidence in Kenya and promised "an unforgettable championship worthy of our athletes."
What happens next
The next World Championships are in Beijing from 10 to 19 September 2027. After that, the global championships come to Nairobi in September 2029. Pimeys will track the Kasarani works, the confirmed dates and ticketing as they are announced, and add them to our race calendar.