Nairobi has formally entered the race to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Athletics Kenya and the Government of Kenya combining efforts in a bid to bring the sport’s biggest global event to Africa for the first time.
Kenya has submitted a fully backed bid that places Nairobi among the cities seeking to stage the 2029 championships, alongside London, Rome and Munich. A successful bid would give Kenya a landmark opportunity to host the senior World Athletics Championships, and make Nairobi the first African city to stage the prestigious event. The government has pledged its full support to the candidature, including the provision of the infrastructure, security and organisational structures required to host an event of such international scale.
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Kenya’s case is strengthened by its long history of hosting major athletics competitions. Mombasa staged the World Cross Country Championships in 2007, while Nairobi hosted the World Athletics Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in 2021. The capital also hosted the 2010 African Athletics Championships at Nyayo National Stadium, and remains a regular stop on the international athletics calendar through events such as the Kip Keino Classic.
The annual Kip Keino Classic is a World Athletics Gold Label meeting held in Nairobi, while the Sirkwa Classic Cross Country Championships in Uasin Gishu County further underline Kenya’s experience in hosting elite athletics competitions.
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Kenya’s bid is being positioned as more than a national project, with the potential selection of Nairobi representing a major milestone for athletics on the African continent. London has submitted its proposal through Athletic Ventures, with the London Stadium identified as its proposed venue. Rome and Munich have also formally entered the contest for the 2029 edition. Kenya’s dream of hosting the 2029 World Championships faces a major threat as new bidder joins race. The 2027 World Athletics Championships are scheduled to be held in Beijing, China, with the host cities for the 2029 and 2031 editions expected to be decided in September 2026 during a World Athletics Council meeting.