Nairobi has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, beating London and becoming the first African city to stage the global event, The Guardian reports. World Athletics president Seb Coe announced the decision alongside the selection of Munich for the 2031 championships.
The result was a setback for London, which had been widely viewed as the frontrunner. A source in the British bid team told The Guardian they were “gutted”, saying they believed London had presented a strong proposition. The outcome is expected to prompt a review of the bid and the factors that influenced the decision.
The Guardian reported that uncertainty over London’s proposed use of the stadium, following a lengthy dispute with West Ham about permission for an event in September 2029, may have weakened the bid. Sparse crowds during the opening days of the European Championships in Birmingham last month were also described as unhelpful for London’s case.
Coe said the decision had been difficult because all four proposals for the 2029 and 2031 championships—including bids from London, Nairobi, Munich and Rome—were compelling. He described Nairobi’s submission as both convincing and emotionally significant, and said bringing the championships to Africa was historic.
In backing Nairobi, Coe highlighted Kenya’s importance to athletics and its record of producing leading distance runners. He said the country had the right host, bid and circumstances for the championships, adding that Nairobi had demonstrated that the time was right for the event to come to Africa.
Munich was chosen for 2031 after what The Guardian described as an exceptionally strong presentation to the World Athletics evaluation panel. Coe said Germany had repeatedly shown it could host major athletics competitions, citing the 2009 World Championships in Berlin and strong support for later European Championships in Berlin and Munich.
The next World Athletics Championships are scheduled for Beijing from 10 to 19 September 2027. The Nairobi and Munich editions are also expected to take place in September, at the end of their respective seasons.