Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, has been chosen to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking a historic first for an African city. This decision means London will not stage the event, despite its previous success in hosting the championships in 2017.
The announcement was made during a World Athletics council meeting held in Budapest. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe praised Nairobi’s submission, describing it as “a compelling and emotional bid.”
Coe highlighted the competitive nature of the selection process, stating, “We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the council.” He emphasized the significance of bringing the championships to Africa, noting that it fulfills the organization’s mission of expanding athletics globally.
The London Stadium, which served as the proposed venue for the UK’s bid, has a rich history of hosting major sporting events. It was the primary venue for the 2012 Olympic Games and has regularly hosted the London Diamond League. The stadium also successfully staged the World Athletics Championships in 2017.
The UK’s bid was spearheaded by Athletic Ventures, a consortium comprising UK Athletics, London Marathon Events, and the Great Run Company. Despite their efforts, the bid ultimately fell short.
Disappointment for London
Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics and co-founder of Athletic Ventures, expressed profound disappointment at the outcome. “We are deeply disappointed that the 2029 World Athletics Championships will not be held in London,” Buckner said.
He extended gratitude to the various governmental and mayoral bodies for their support of the bid, while also offering congratulations to the successful host. “Our congratulations go to Nairobi and we wish the organising committee all the best for a great event in 2029,” Buckner added.
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, echoed this sentiment, stating the Mayor was “disappointed that London will not host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.” The spokesperson affirmed London’s status as a global sporting capital and the Mayor’s commitment to attracting future major events.
Munich to Host 2031 Event
In addition to the 2029 decision, World Athletics confirmed that Munich, Germany, will host the 2031 World Athletics Championships, marking its first time as host. Rome was the other city that missed out on both the 2029 and 2031 bids.
Nairobi’s Strong Case
Nairobi had previously bid for the 2025 championships but lost out to Tokyo. However, the city’s Kasarani Stadium is currently undergoing renovations in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in 2027, a factor that significantly bolstered its credentials as a host venue.
Kenya has a strong tradition in athletics, particularly in distance running. The nation demonstrated its prowess at the 2025 edition of the championships, finishing second in the medal table with seven gold medals and a total of eleven.
Lord Coe refrained from commenting on specific factors that might have hindered London’s bid, instead choosing to highlight Kenya’s rich athletic heritage and the historical significance of bringing the event to Africa.
Factors Affecting London’s Bid
- The UK bid had secured £45 million in public funding and aimed to replicate the commercial success of the 2017 event.
- Uncertainty surrounding West Ham United’s permission for the London Stadium’s use, which was only confirmed shortly before the decision, may have been a factor.
- Concerns about attendance at other recent athletics events in the UK, such as the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, where nearly 10,000 seats remained empty, could have also played a role.
- World indoor 400m champion Amber Anning, who attended the 2017 championships as a fan, expressed her disappointment, suggesting that London having recently hosted the event might have impacted its chances.
Despite this setback, Britain is set to host other major sporting events, including the Grand Depart of the men’s and women’s Tour de France cycling races in 2027 and the men’s Euros in 2028. The UK is also bidding for the 2035 Rugby World Cup. The report also notes that winning seven gold medals and 11 in total, kenya finished second in the medal table at the 2025 edition. The report also notes that and were confident of replicating the commercial success of the 2017 event, those behind the bid had secured £45m in public money. The report also notes that we continue to fulfil our mission of growing athletics worldwide with the hosting of our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa and Europe over its next three editions, with this decision today. The report also notes that we believed we had an outstanding bid which would genuinely take the sport to new levels. The report also notes that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and UK Sport for their fantastic support for our bid, we would like to thank the Government. The report also notes that so why did it fail, this is a painful snub for London. The report also notes that another issue may have been the fact that nearly 10,000 seats were empty at Birmingham’s 23,000-seater Alexander Stadium for the European Athletics Championships last month, with some fans blaming the cost of tickets.
