Kenya makes history as Nairobi wins 2029 World Athletics Championships host bid

Kenya will make history in 2029 after Nairobi was awarded the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city to host the senior global event. BBC Sport Africa reports that the championships will be staged at the 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium, with Nairobi beating bids from London and Rome.

Munich was selected to host the 2031 edition. Kenya’s strong athletics heritage, including 72 World Championship and 38 Olympic gold medals, helped strengthen its bid. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s proposal as “compelling and emotional”. The country previously bid unsuccessfully for the 2025 championships, awarded to Tokyo.