For decades, Kenya has dominated global athletics, collecting medal hauls and breaking world records across middle- and long-distance events. Now, the East African nation is aiming to turn its athletic legacy into a historic milestone, officially submitting a bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships – a bid that would make it the first African country to ever host track and field’s flagship global event.
Nairobi’s proposal is not without competition: it will go up against competing bids from three European cities, London, Rome and Munich. World Athletics, the global governing body for the sport, is scheduled to announce its final selection next month, leaving the bidding race in its final stretch.
Athletics Kenya, the national governing body, has framed its bid as a robust, well-supported proposal with a strong claim to bring the tournament to the African continent for the first time. In an official statement, the organization confirmed that the Kenyan national government has offered its full backing to the bid, committing to deliver all the required organizational infrastructure, robust security protocols, and modern facilities needed to host a world-class international sporting event.
Per reporting from BBC Sport Africa, the 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi has been selected as the proposed main venue for the championships, should Kenya’s bid succeed.
Kenya’s deep-rooted history of excellence in global athletics provides a powerful foundation for its bid. To date, Kenyan athletes have claimed 72 gold medals at World Athletics Championships and another 38 Olympic gold medals, with the nation’s dominance especially pronounced in middle- and long-distance running. Seventeen current world records across track and road events are held by Kenyan athletes, including both the men’s and women’s marathon world records. At the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo, Kenya placed second in the overall medal table, clinching seven golds among a total of 11 podium finishes.
This is not Kenya’s first time hosting major international athletics events, nor its first attempt to secure the senior World Athletics Championships. The nation previously hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and 2021 World U20 Championships, both in Nairobi. Nairobi also hosted the 2010 African Athletics Championships at Nyayo National Stadium. Kenya’s bid for the 2025 edition of the senior World Championships was ultimately unsuccessful, but a 2029 win would mark a transformative milestone for the nation’s profile on the global sporting stage.
Beyond athletics, Kenya is already set to expand its international hosting resume next year, when it co-hosts the Africa Cup of Nations men’s football tournament alongside neighboring Tanzania and Uganda. Just months ago, Botswana made history of its own in African athletics when it became the first African nation to host the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone this past May, laying early groundwork for a potential senior World Championships on the continent.