World Athletics Championships coming to Africa
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday September 15, 2026 12:43
The announcement was made today by World Athletics president Seb Coe in Budapest, Hungary. The 2031 edition will be held in Munich, Germany.
Coe said the decision to award Kenya the hosting rights followed one of the strongest bidding processes in the history of the sport’s flagship event. Nairobi beat a number of other candidates, including London.
The decision, made during the 242nd World Athletics Council meeting on Monday and Tuesday, means the World Athletics Championships will be held in Africa for the first time when Nairobi stages the 2029 edition. The event will then return to Germany two years later, with Munich hosting the 2031 championships at its iconic Olympic Stadium.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council. The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships,” Coe said.
He said the decision was part of World Athletics’ mission to grow the sport globally, with the next three editions of the championships being staged across Asia, Africa and Europe.
“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport, and I am delighted that we can now begin working with both cities to stage two world-class championships,” he said.
The championships will build on Africa’s growing record of successfully hosting major World Athletics events.
Kampala, Uganda, hosted the World Cross Country Championships in 2017, while Nairobi staged the World Under-18 Championships later that year and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021.
Gaborone hosted the World Athletics Relays in 2026, becoming the first African city to stage the event.