Nairobi to host Africa’s first World Athletics Championships in 2029
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Nairobi to host Africa’s first World Athletics Championships in 2029")
A general view of the Raila Odinga International Stadium Photograph: (AFP)
The 2029 World Athletics Championships will make history in Nairobi as the first edition of the global competition to be held in Africa.
The World Athletics Championships will be held in Africa for the first time in 2029, with Kenya’s capital Nairobi chosen as the host city for the prestigious track and field event.
Kenya is among the world’s strongest athletics nations, especially in distance running and is second only to the United States on the all-time World Championships medal table. The event will then move to Germany in 2031, with Munich set to host the championships for the first time.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe called Nairobi’s selection a historic development and pointed to Kenya’s strong connection with athletics.
“Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” Coe said after announcing the decision following the Ultimate Championship in Hungary. “Athletics is woven into the fabric of Kenya.”
Kenyan sports minister Salim Mvurya also welcomed the decision, saying the championships would give the world a chance to see a country where running is deeply connected to its identity.
Passionate fans get their moment
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Coe said World Athletics research showed that Kenya had the most passionate track and field fans among the markets surveyed.
Nairobi’s bid was also helped by its existing sports infrastructure. The championships will be held at a stadium that is already undergoing upgrades ahead of Kenya’s co-hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations next year.
“It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances,” Coe said. “Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment.”
However, hosting the event could also bring greater attention to Kenya’s doping record. Several top Kenyan athletes have faced suspensions in the past decade and among them is marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich, who is currently serving a three-year ban.
Nairobi defeated bids from London and Rome to win the right to host the 2029 championships. London last staged the event in 2017.
The World Athletics Championships will continue with their traditional format. Next year’s edition in Beijing will run for 10 days and include the full programme of events.
This will be different from the three-day Ultimate Championship in Budapest, which featured an invitation-only field and major cash prizes instead of the traditional medal-based format. Events including the men’s triple jump, shot put, race walks and marathon were not part of that competition.
The Ultimate Championship has not yet announced a host for its 2028 edition. However, Coe said there had already been strong interest following its first edition.
“I think the proof of concept worked pretty well. There are things that we will obviously look at and adjust,” Coe said.
Before Nairobi hosts the World Athletics Championships in 2029, Beijing will stage the next edition, followed by Munich in 2031.