How Nairobi beat rivals to win hosting rights for 2029 World Athletics Championships
By Joel Masibo, September 15, 2026Nairobi has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Kenya the first African country to stage the sport’s premier global track and field competition ahead of the United Kingdom (London), Italy (Rome), and Germany (Munich).
The decision was reached during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest on September 14 and 15, 2026, with Munich in Germany chosen to stage the 2031 championships.
The landmark decision will see the global championships make their first appearance on African soil in 2029 before returning to Germany two years later, with Munich’s Olympic Stadium set to provide the backdrop for the 2031 edition.
Nairobi’s successful bid marks a major development for athletics on the African continent, which has previously hosted several major World Athletics competitions but never the senior World Championships.
How Nairobi beat rivals
Kenya’s capital has strengthened its reputation as an international athletics centre through the annual Kip Keino Classic, which has been part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series since its introduction in 2020.
Nairobi previously attempted to secure the 2025 World Championships before Tokyo was awarded the event. The city returned to the bidding process with a stronger proposal for 2029, backed by years of experience in hosting international athletics competitions.
The 2017 World U18 Championships highlighted the country’s enormous following for athletics, with Kasarani Stadium attracting large crowds during the competition.
The 2029 proposal also includes a refurbished Kasarani Stadium, which is undergoing extensive works ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
World Athletics said Kenya’s passion for the sport was another important factor behind the successful bid.
High level of interest in athletics
According to its fan research, 68 per cent of Kenyans surveyed expressed a high level of interest in athletics, compared with a global average of 39 per cent.
Kenya is also ranked as the country with the highest net promoter score for athletics, while the sport is the second-most followed in the country after football. It also ranks fourth globally for followers of World Athletics’ social media platforms.
Kenya’s achievements in field events
Kenya’s achievements in track and field have further strengthened its position as an athletics powerhouse.
The country is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history and ended the Tokyo 2025 championships second on the medal standings after collecting seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Nairobi’s successful bid represented an important moment for the sport.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” said Coe.
“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country, and athletes such as world gold medallists Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri and David Rudisha, as well as two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino, multiple world cross-country champion Paul Tergat and multiple world half marathon champion Tegla Loroupe, have shaped the history of our sport.
“It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment.”
Munich to stage 2031 championships
Munich’s selection will see Germany host the World Athletics Championships for the third time, following Stuttgart in 1993 and Berlin in 2009.
Germany has a strong record of organising major international athletics events, while Munich has already demonstrated its ability to attract large crowds to the Olympic Stadium.
The venue was a key part of the 2022 European Championships, where athletics drew approximately 267,000 spectators.
The 2022 event was also a successful one for the German team, which topped the athletics medal table on home soil.
Germany has continued to make progress internationally, winning five medals, including one gold, at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo before finishing third in the medal standings at the European Championships in Birmingham.
Coe said Munich’s strong organisational record, athletics following and plans for the Olympic Park made it a suitable host for 2031.
“Germany has proved time and again that it is an outstanding and dependable host for major athletics events,” said Coe. “Berlin 2009 remains one of the memorable editions of the World Championships, and we have since seen tremendous support for the sport at the European Championships in Berlin and Munich.
“We wholeheartedly believe in the vision for Munich Olympiapark – one of the iconic venues in world sport – to merge the German people’s enthusiasm for athletics with the special flair of an art and culture festival to create a unique and powerful overall experience. The atmosphere in 2022 was exceptional and the attendance figures demonstrated the appetite that exists in the city and across Germany for major events.
“The Olympiapark is also a symbol of sustainability, and we are assured that this will be a core value in the planning and implementation of the World Championships, aligned with international best practices and the Athletics for a Better World Gold Event standard.
“We know Munich can deliver major championships, we know Germany has an audience for athletics, and we believe Munich 2031 has all the ingredients to be a spectacular World Athletics Championships.”
The next World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing from September 10 to 19, 2027.
Nairobi’s 2029 championships and Munich’s 2031 event will also be held in September, maintaining World Athletics’ plan to conclude the global athletics season with its major championship.