Nairobi has been chosen over London to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships

Nairobi has been chosen over London to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking a historic moment as Africa hosts the global event for the first time.

London has been unsuccessful in its attempt to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, as Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, has been chosen to hold the prestigious global athletics event for the first time on the African continent.

The decision was affirmed during a World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, where World Athletics president Sebastian Coe lauded Nairobi’s proposal as “a compelling and emotional bid.”

“The council faced a challenging decision, as we were fortunate to receive four exceptional bids for 2029 and 2031,” Coe stated.

“With this decision today, we advance our mission of expanding athletics globally by hosting our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa, and Europe over the next three editions.”

Nairobi delivered a captivating and heartfelt proposal, and hosting the World Athletics Championships in Africa for the first time will be a momentous occasion.

“It was crucial for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Africa when we had the appropriate host, the suitable bid, and the ideal circumstances.” Nairobi has clearly shown that this moment is their time to shine.

London proposed the London Stadium, which is home to Championship club West Ham United, as the primary venue for its UK bid.

The stadium served as the site for athletics events during the 2012 Olympic Games and continues to be the venue for the annual London Diamond League. It was the venue for the World Athletics Championships when London held the event in 2017.

Athletic Ventures, a collaboration that includes UK Athletics, London Marathon Events, and the Great Run Company, spearheaded the UK bid.


Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics and co-founder of Athletic Ventures, conveyed his disappointment regarding the decision.

We express our profound disappointment that the 2029 World Athletics Championships will not take place in London. We were confident that we had a strong bid that would significantly advance the sport.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the government, the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London, and UK Sport for their exceptional support of our bid. We extend our gratitude to the London Stadium, West Ham United, and all our stakeholders for their dedication and effort in assembling the bid.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nairobi and wish the organizing committee every success for an outstanding event in 2029.”

Rome was the other unsuccessful bidder, and World Athletics has confirmed Munich as the host for the 2031 championships.

Nairobi had made a bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships but ultimately lost out to Tokyo, which was awarded the event instead.

The case for the Kenyan capital was bolstered by the ongoing renovations at Kasarani Stadium, which are being undertaken in anticipation of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya secured the second position on the medal table at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, achieving seven gold medals and a total of 11 medals.