London has lost the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships to Nairobi. The decision was confirmed at a World Athletics council meeting in Budapest, making Nairobi the first African city to host the event.
The World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe, spoke warmly about Kenya’s bid, describing it as “compelling and emotional.”.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the council,” Coe said. “Taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.”
West Ham United’s Championship club calls the London Stadium its home ground, and it was put forward as the venue for the UK bid. The stadium has served as host for the 2012 Olympic Games and the yearly London Diamond League, as well as when London last held the Worlds in 2017.
Coe’s Case for Nairobi
Coe made the case for Nairobi’s moment in Africa. “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.”
Munich was confirmed as the new host city for the 2031 event, which will take place there for the first time. Rome missed out on hosting it instead.
Tokyo won the right to host the 2025 championships ahead of Nairobi, which had put forward a bid for the event.
The Venue Comparison
Before the Afcon in 2027, Kasarani Stadium is undergoing renovation work. That renovation has bolstered its standing as a host venue.
At the 2025 edition, Kenya placed second on the medal table, collecting seven gold medals and a total of 11.
| Bid | Result |
|---|---|
| London | Missed out |
| Nairobi | Host for 2029 |
| Rome | Missed out |
| Munich | Host for 2031 |
| Year | Host |
|---|---|
| 2029 | Nairobi |
| 2031 | Munich |
| 2025 | Tokyo |
| 2017 | London |
What the Decision Left Out
There was no detailed explanation for the decision. The source confirms the vote, but it offers no reason for why London came up short.
The absence of context stands out. Readers are left with a judgment and no reasoning to back it up. Coe stressed the historic nature of the journey to Africa, yet he failed to explain what made Nairobi distinct from the other candidate cities.
Coe’s words lay out where things are headed, though they offer no explanation for how the decision was reached.
The bottom line for now is straightforward: Nairobi has been chosen to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, while London has been left off the list.
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