Kenya has conquered almost every frontier in athletics. On Wednesday, it cleared one of the few barriers left.
Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, bringing the sport’s biggest global stage to Africa for the first time.
The decision, announced at the 242nd World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, Hungary, ended a long wait for a country whose runners have dominated the world’s tracks, roads and cross-country courses for generations.
Nairobi beat bids from London and Rome to secure the 2029 championship, a homecoming for Kenya and a breakthrough for Africa.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s bid as “compelling and emotional”, saying the decision reflected Kenya’s deep connection with the sport.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” Coe said.
“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic. Athletics is woven into the fabric of Kenya.”
The Kenyan bid had heavyweight backing, including two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and drew strength from the country’s huge following for athletics.
President William Ruto called the award a victory for Kenyan athletes and generations that built the country’s reputation on the global stage.
“This is Kenya’s moment, Africa’s moment and a victory for generations of athletes who made our nation synonymous with excellence,” Ruto said.
The 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium will serve as the main venue. The facility is already lined up for major modernisation as Kenya prepares to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nairobi’s experience also worked in its favour; the city has previously hosted the World U-18, World U-20 Championships, and World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, giving Kenya a tested platform for another major global event.
The 2029 championships will follow Beijing 2027, before Munich hosts the 2031 edition.
But Kenya will simply be putting on another international event; its runners have spent decades winning medals on foreign tracks, often returning home draped in the national flag.
In 2029, the world’s best will come to Nairobi for the first time, and Africa will have the world’s athletics family watching from home.