Nairobi Awarded 2029 World Athletics Championships, Beating London, Rome and Munich

For more than four decades, the World Athletics Championships have been held across continents but never in Africa. That changes in 2029, when Nairobi becomes the first African city to host the championships.

Kenya's campaign lasted three years and culminated in victory at the World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest on Sept. 15.

The bid

Nairobi beat London, Rome and Munich. All three have established records of hosting major international athletics events.

Kenya's pitch leaned on two things: infrastructure and track record.

On infrastructure, the bid pointed to the ongoing renovation of Kasarani stadium, which is being done ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. On track record, it cited Kenya's hosting of the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships.

This was not Kenya's first attempt. Its bid for the 2025 championships lost to Tokyo. Kenya drew lessons from that defeat and came back for 2029.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the council had received four strong bids and described Nairobi's proposal as "compelling and emotional."

Why Kenya

The championships were established in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland. That first edition drew 1,333 athletes from 153 countries. Before then, the sport's biggest global competitions were largely tied to the Olympic Games.

African athletes were winning long before the championships existed. Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila became the first African to win Olympic marathon gold in 1960. Uganda's John Akii-Bua and Morocco's Said Aouita followed.

Kenya's own history is deep. Kipchoge Keino won the 1,500 metres at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and helped establish the country as a distance-running power. Paul Tergat, David Rudisha, Eliud Kipchoge, Vivian Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri and Faith Kipyegon came after him.

Kenya is the second most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history. A country with that record had never been given the event.

Keino's reaction

Keino, a two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder, told Al Jazeera the award is a "deeply special moment."

"When we started running, we were young Kenyans with a dream to represent our country and show the world that African athletes could compete at the highest level," Keino said.

"It is a testament to how far our country has come from sending athletes abroad to compete, to welcoming the world to our own home."

Keino said hosting would let Kenya showcase its talent, culture and hospitality while investing in the future of athletics.

The work ahead

The award is a promise, not a finished stadium. Kenya has to deliver an event that London, Rome and Munich were also ready to stage.

The first checkpoint is already on the calendar. Kasarani's renovation is tied to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, so how that project goes will be visible long before the 2029 athletes arrive. Kenyan MP Dan Wanyama, who chairs the committee on sports and culture, said the contractor is already on site and preparations have started in earnest.

Kenyan organizers now have to show they can meet the council's call, starting with the Kasarani work due before the 2027 tournament.