Nairobi will become the first African city to host the World Athletics Championships, with the Kenyan capital confirmed as the venue for the 2029 edition of the biennial event, while Munich will stage the 2031 championships. The landmark decision was reached during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest on 15 September 2026, ending a competitive bidding process that saw four cities — Nairobi, Rome, Munich, and London — contest the 2029 slot.

A Historic Moment for African Athletics

The selection of Nairobi marks a watershed for the sport, as the World Athletics Championships — athletics' biggest event after the Olympics — has never before been held on the African continent. The decision arrives despite London being widely regarded as a frontrunner for the 2029 bid, with reports indicating the British capital was in protracted negotiations with West Ham over use of the London Stadium during the football season before the stadium ultimately failed to secure the nod.

Africa has gradually built its credentials as a host for major multi-nation athletics events. Kampala, Uganda staged the World Cross Country Championships in 2017, the same year Nairobi itself hosted the World U18 Championships. Earlier this year, Gaborone, Botswana staged the inaugural African edition of the World Athletics Relays. The 2029 championships, however, represent an entirely different scale of occasion.

What Sebastian Coe Said

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the decision as both historic and emotionally resonant. 'Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,' he said. 'Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country, and athletes such as world gold medallists Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri and David Rudisha, as well as two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino, multiple world cross-country champion Paul Tergat and multiple world half marathon champion Tegla Loroupe, have shaped the history of our sport.'

Coe added: '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. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment.' Kenya is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history, lending the choice an additional layer of sporting logic.

Munich Earns Germany's Third World Championships

Munich's Olympic Stadium — the iconic Olympiapark — will host the 2031 World Athletics Championships, marking Germany's third time staging the event. Coe pointed to Berlin 2009 as one of the most memorable editions of the championships and cited strong attendance figures at subsequent European Championships in both Berlin and Munich as evidence of the country's appetite for elite athletics.

'The Olympiapark is also a symbol of sustainability, and we are assured that this will be a core value in the planning and implementation of the World Championships, aligned with international best practices and the Athletics for a Better World Gold Event standard,' Coe said. Munich's bid envisioned blending high-performance competition with an arts and culture festival format, offering a distinct identity from previous editions.

What Comes Next on the Calendar

The immediate next staging of the World Athletics Championships is Beijing, scheduled for 10–19 September 2027. Both Nairobi 2029 and Munich 2031 are also planned for September, consistent with World Athletics' objective of positioning the global championship as the season's climactic event. Coe noted that across the next three editions — Asia, Africa, and Europe — the championships will span three continents, reinforcing what he described as the event's growing global reach.