KEY POINTS
• Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the first edition to be held in Africa.
• Munich, Germany, has been selected to host the 2031 championships.
• World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Nairobi presented a compelling bid for the historic event.
MAIN STORY
Kenya will host the World Athletics Championships in 2029, making Nairobi the first African city to stage the global athletics competition.
World Athletics announced the decision after its Council Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, where four bids were considered for the 2029 and 2031 editions.
Munich, Germany, was selected to host the 2031 championships.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the quality of the competing bids made the selection process difficult, but Nairobi and Munich eventually emerged with proposals that met the organisation’s requirements.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council.
“The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships,” he said.
Coe said Nairobi’s selection would mark an important moment for the sport because of Kenya’s longstanding position in international athletics.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.
“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations,” Coe said.
He said World Athletics had wanted to bring its flagship championships to Africa when a suitable host, proposal and circumstances were in place.
“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,” he said.
The 2029 event will therefore be the first World Athletics Championships staged on African soil.
For Nairobi, the hosting rights add another major international athletics event to the city’s record, while giving Kenya the opportunity to stage the sport’s leading global competition on home ground.
Coe said Nairobi and Munich offered different opportunities for the sport and expressed readiness to work with both cities ahead of their respective championships.
THE ISSUES
- Kenya’s selection places the World Athletics Championships on African soil for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the event’s geographic reach.
- The decision gives Nairobi the opportunity to build on its experience of hosting international athletics competitions while presenting Kenya’s athletics tradition to a global audience.
- Munich’s selection for 2031 means the next two editions will be staged in cities from different geographical and sporting environments.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport.” – Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.” – Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics
“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment.” – Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics
WHAT’S NEXT
World Athletics will begin preparations with Nairobi for the 2029 championships and with Munich ahead of the 2031 edition.
BOTTOM LINE
Nairobi’s selection will bring the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time in 2029. Munich will then host the event in 2031.
