On 15 September 2026, World Athletics announced that Nairobi, Kenya has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships — the first time the event has ever been held on African soil.
The World Athletics Council met in Budapest and awarded the 2029 championships to Nairobi and the 2031 edition to Munich, following one of the strongest bidding contests in the event's history. Four cities - Nairobi, London, Rome and Munich - competed for 2029.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised Nairobi's bid as compelling and emotional, describing the city as a fast-growing hub for East Africa well placed to deliver a landmark championships.
The championships will be staged at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani - sitting above 1,600 metres of altitude - which already hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and World U20 Championships in 2021, and is being fully overhauled ahead of AFCON 2027.
Summaries above are based on public reporting from World Athletics, NBC Sports, MyJoyOnline and Marathon Handbook around the 15 September 2026 announcement. We'll keep this page updated as official dates, ticketing, and volunteer details are released.
Kenya carries the whole continent's hosting debut. KFA is building the fan-ambassador movement early so Kasarani is packed and the atmosphere matches the occasion.
Kenya's distance-running dominance meets a home crowd. Members get priority updates on volunteer programmes, fan zones, and ticket information as they're released.
Kasarani's renovation for AFCON 2027 doubles as preparation for 2029 - two global showcases for Kenya within two years. We're mobilizing fans for both.
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