Nairobi to make history as Africa hosts World Athletics Championships
Nairobi is set to make sporting history after being selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the prestigious global competition will be staged on African soil.
Nairobi is set to make sporting history after being selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the prestigious global competition will be staged on African soil.
The decision was announced in Budapest, Hungary, after the World Athletics Council considered competing bids from Nairobi, London and Rome. Munich was separately selected to host the 2031 edition.
For Kenya, the award represents another major milestone in a country whose international reputation has been closely associated with athletics, particularly distance running.
The announcement was met with celebrations across the country, including in Siaya County, where President William Ruto was undertaking a development tour when news of Nairobi’s successful bid reached him.
Ruto welcomed the decision, linking it to Kenya’s long-standing sporting tradition and the government’s investment in sports infrastructure.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya also congratulated Athletics Kenya, the government, athletes and the bid team for securing the hosting rights.
NOC-K President Shadrack Maluki described the development as an opportunity for Kenya to showcase its sporting heritage, culture and hospitality to an international audience.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the championships needed to come to Africa when the right host and circumstances were in place. He said Nairobi’s bid demonstrated that the Kenyan capital was ready to take the sport to another level in the country and across the continent.
The 2029 championships will be staged at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which is undergoing upgrades as Kenya prepares to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nairobi’s selection also comes with the significance of its altitude. At roughly 1,800 metres above sea level, the Kenyan capital will become the highest-altitude city to host the World Athletics Championships. The conditions could create different challenges for athletes, particularly those unfamiliar with competing at elevation.
Kenyan athletes have welcomed the decision, with Africa’s 100-metre record holder Ferdinand Omanyala describing the moment as significant for athletes who will have the opportunity to compete at a major championship on home ground.
However, the hosting rights will also place renewed international attention on Kenya’s efforts to combat doping in athletics. More than 140 Kenyan athletes have been suspended for doping violations since 2017, according to figures cited by AFP. Kenyan anti-doping officials say cooperation with international athletics authorities has strengthened efforts to promote clean sport.
The 2029 championships will therefore give Kenya an opportunity to present its athletics tradition to a global audience while demonstrating its capacity to stage one of the sport’s biggest international events.
For Nairobi and the wider continent, the event will mark a historic first and put Africa at the centre of the global athletics calendar.
