World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has outlined the key factor that earned Kenya the rights to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsCoe pointed to the country’s immense contribution to the sport’s global growth and development.He made the remarks during his official visit to Kenya on Wednesday, 14 October, where he reviewed the country’s early preparations for the historic championships, which will make Nairobi the first African city to host the senior global showpiece.President Ruto, Coe reaffirm shared commitment to successful 2029 World Championships in NairobiNairobi emerged ahead of London and Rome in the race to host the 2029 edition, while Munich was awarded the 2031 championships, following what World Athletics described as one of the strongest bidding processes in the history of the competition.According to Coe, Kenya’s rich athletics heritage and the influence of its athletes on the global stage were compelling elements of its successful bid.“So the contribution Kenya has made, and Africa has made, to World Athletics was also a compelling part of the bid and why the country won it,” Coe said.##NAJAVA_MECA_10027934##Kenya’s successful bid marked a significant turnaround after Nairobi lost the hosting rights for the 2025 edition to Tokyo. The country returned to the bidding process with an improved proposal, having learnt from the shortcomings of its previous campaign.Coe acknowledged the progress made by the Kenyan delegation, praising its determination to address the challenges that had undermined the earlier bid.“You made a valiant attempt in 2025. It didn't work out, but you also went away and understood more about the challenge and brought back to World Athletics a very compelling bid, which our council approved and supported, and we were very happy to do so,” he added.Kenyan athletes learn dates of 2027 Wanda Diamond LeagueThe World Athletics president also commended Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei, who serves as one of the governing body's vice presidents, for consistently championing the country's ambition to host the championships.“I may just also congratulate the people of Kenya, the Kenyan Athletics Federation, under the astute leadership of Jackson Tuwei, one of my esteemed vice presidents at World Athletics, who I know was steadfast in his belief that Kenya, at the right time and in the right environment, and with the right infrastructure, hard and soft, around it, should be allowed to stage the championships,” Coe said.Kenya's longstanding success in athletics has helped establish the country as one of the sport's leading nations, particularly in middle- and long-distance running.##NAJAVA_MECA_10027948##The country is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history and finished second on the medal table at the 2025 edition in Tokyo, collecting seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.Generations of Kenyan athletes, including Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha, Faith Kipyegon, Hellen Obiri, Vivian Cheruiyot, Paul Tergat and Tegla Loroupe, have contributed to the country's reputation as an athletics powerhouse.Coe, a former middle-distance runner, also reflected on his experiences competing against Kenyan athletes during his career, highlighting the country's longstanding influence on the sport.How AK is leveraging AFCON 2027 upgrades to prepare Kasarani for 2029 World Championships“Your country, I don't need to tell you — you are students of your sport. You write about them, you report about them, and no doubt members of your family are actually involved in the sport. This is a passion. This is pretty much everything that people think and see and view and understand about Kenya. And I can speak from a small element of that, because, of course, my career was not quite in the infancy of the African and Kenyan revolution in sport,” he said.Coe recalled the achievements of legendary Kenyan athletes Amos Biwott and Kipchoge Keino, noting that Kenyan runners were among his principal competitors throughout his career.##NAJAVA_MECA_10027920##“Amos Biwott and Kip Keino, great athletes, had emerged in an earlier generation, but my main competition for many months and years of my career was actually Kenyan athletes. Sometimes successful, sometimes not so successful. So the contribution Kenya has made, and Africa has made, to World Athletics was also a compelling part of the bid and why the country won it,” he recalled.Beyond its rich sporting heritage, Kenya's passionate following of athletics provided another important advantage in the bidding process.Kipchoge eager to take on the next generation after first win in three yearsWorld Athletics' fan research showed that 68 per cent of Kenyans surveyed had a high level of interest in athletics, compared with a global average of 39 per cent.