Kenya to become first African nation to host World Athletics Championships
The 2029 World Athletics Championships will be held in Nairobi, making Kenya the first African country ever entrusted with hosting the event. World Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday.
World Athletics announced on Tuesday that the 2029 World Athletics Championships will take place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This makes Kenya the first African nation ever to host the event.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the council's decision means the organization will be able to stage its next three championships across three different continents — Asia, Africa and Europe. He said Nairobi has shown that this is the moment to accelerate the development of athletics in Kenya and across the wider African continent.
Previous hosting experience
Nairobi is not entirely new to hosting major athletics events of this kind. The city previously hosted the World U-18 Championships in 2017 and the World U-20 Championships four years later, giving it prior experience organizing international competitions on this scale.
Several European cities also bid for the right to host the 2029 championships, including London, Rome and Munich. However, Munich has already secured a spot on the international calendar, having been awarded the 2031 World Championships.
Before Nairobi's turn arrives, the next World Championships will be held in Beijing next year, with the Nairobi edition set to mark a significant step in expanding the sport's global footprint.
