In a landmark decision that has sent waves of celebration across the entire African continent, World Athletics announced Tuesday that Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, has secured the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. This will mark the first time the sport’s flagship global event has ever been held on African soil, with Nairobi beating out two former Olympic host cities, London and Rome, to claim the historic bid.
For decades, East Africa has been a powerhouse of global track and field, producing some of the sport’s most legendary champions and record-breaking athletes. That legacy makes the 2029 announcement feel like a homecoming for the sport, according to many local figures. A 2026 World Athletics survey underscores this deep cultural connection: 68% of Kenyan respondents reported high personal interest in athletics, reflecting the sport’s unique place in the nation’s identity. The 2029 championships will be held at the 48,000-seat Kasarani Stadium, which is already undergoing major redevelopment work to prepare for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Legendary Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic 10,000m gold medalist, was among the first to celebrate the announcement, calling the decision wonderful news for the entire continent. Gebrselassie predicted that the home-field advantage will create an unparalleled atmosphere for both athletes and fans. “Like in soccer, playing at home and playing away is different,” he noted. “It’s a big chance for Kenyans, it’s a big chance for Ethiopians, in 2029, to win a race.” The running great added that he plans to attend the event in person, and he expects the global community will be impressed by Kenya’s ability to host a world-class tournament. He also argued that the win will open doors for other African cities to bid for major global events in the future, saying “If Nairobi can host this championship, why not Addis Ababa? Why not Lagos or South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda? In 2029, I think the whole world will be surprised at how well they host.”
2015 javelin world champion Julius Yego echoed that optimism, describing the bid win as a transformative moment for the entire continent. “I’m so happy that the world will come to Kenya,” Yego told BBC World Service. “Africa has produced the best of athletes but we’ve never had a chance to witness such a big championship. It is something that will bring people to Africa. And people will know Africa.” Yego added that the milestone should give African nations the confidence to pursue even larger global sporting events, including the Olympic Games. “As Africans, we need to think big and plan ahead and think ‘Yes, it is possible for Africa to host a championship like the World Championships’,” he said. “Same of course for the Olympics. Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa, so I think we’re capable of hosting big events. Let’s dream of hosting the Olympics and bring the best of the world in sports to Africa – to feel Africa, to enjoy Africa.”
Current and former Kenyan stars have emphasized that the 2029 event will be more than a one-off celebration: it is expected to be a catalyst for a new generation of African athletic talent. Retired 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who now works as a coach, said the announcement has already electrified the young athletes she trains. “It means a lot for the youth and the juniors because it makes the dream really big,” she explained. “This is the time where the youth and juniors should begin dreaming of winning at home. We have three years for those athletes who are really promising. It is a good way to make them stay dedicated to it, focused and disciplined to the event. I’ve been speaking to my athletes and they’re saying ‘It has come home, we have to be there, on that starting line’.”
Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, holder of the African 100m record, knows firsthand how a home global youth event can shape an athletic career: he was inspired by Nairobi’s hosting of the 2017 Under-18 World Championships. Now, he says the 2029 senior championships will give a massive boost to both current and future athletes. “I can imagine what this is going to do to up-and-coming athletes,” Omanyala said. “They’re going to see all these stars coming into the country and they’ll be having this chance to watch them warm up and compete. That will be a huge motivation.” He added that hosting the World Championships has always been a dream for the Kenyan athletics community.
The 2029 World Athletics Championships fits into a growing pipeline of major global sporting events coming to Africa over the next four years. The first of these is the Youth Olympics, set to kick off in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31 to November 13 this year. Next year, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will co-host the men’s Cricket World Cup, and in 2030, the men’s FIFA World Cup will return to the continent for the first time since South Africa’s 2010 tournament, when Morocco co-hosts alongside Spain and Portugal. Both Egypt and South Africa have already publicly expressed interest in bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games, building on the momentum of recent major event wins across the continent.