Nairobi Bids to Become First African City to Host World Athletics Championships

Nairobi has formally submitted its bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, putting the Kenyan capital in contention to become the first African city to stage the sport's premier event. The bid has the full backing of the Kenyan government, which has committed to providing the infrastructure, security and organisational support required. Nairobi faces competition from London, Rome and Munich, with World Athletics expected to announce the host city in September 2026.

Kenya has a track record of hosting major athletics events, having staged the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa in 2007, the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi in 2017, the World Under-20 Championships in the capital in 2021, and the African Athletics Championships in 2010. A successful bid would mark a significant milestone for the continent's sporting infrastructure and reflect Kenya's long-standing prominence in global athletics.