Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships after beating bids from London, Munich and Rome. World Athletics announced the decision Tuesday, making Nairobi the first African city to host the outdoor world championships.
The 2031 championships will be held in Munich, the governing body for track and field said after a council meeting in Budapest, which recently hosted the Ultimate Championship.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said at a news conference.
The 2027 championships have already been awarded to Beijing.
“This council decision today means we’re able to deliver our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa and Europe over its next three editions,” Coe said.
He said hosting the championships in Africa for the first time would be a historic moment and described Nairobi’s bid as compelling and emotional.
Coe said it was important for the world championships to come to Africa when there was the right host, bid and circumstances.
“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment to supercharge the development of our sport in Kenya and across Africa, leaving a compelling legacy that inspires a continent,” he added.
Kenya previously failed in its bid to host the 2025 World Championships. However, the country has hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi in 2017 and the World Under-20 Championships in the capital in 2021.
Nairobi also hosted the 2010 African Athletics Championships.
