Kenya has officially entered the race to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Nairobi submitting its formal application to stage the global athletics showpiece at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The bid, submitted on Monday, August 10, places Nairobi among four cities competing to host the senior World Athletics Championships in 2029. The Kenyan capital faces competition from London in the United Kingdom, Rome in Italy and Munich in Germany, with each city proposing a major stadium as the centrepiece of its bid.

Nairobi is proposing Kasarani, while London has put forward the London Stadium, Rome is relying on the Stadio Olimpico and Munich has proposed the Olympiastadion.

Athletics Kenya confirmed the submission in a statement shared with newsrooms on Monday, expressing confidence in Nairobi’s ability to stage the global event with government backing.

“Nairobi has officially submitted its formal application to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, presenting a compelling case to bring the global flagship event to African soil.”

The statement added that the government’s commitment would be central to the bid, particularly in providing the organisational framework, security and infrastructure required to host a championship of such magnitude.

“The government has committed its full support to the bid, ensuring the necessary organisational framework, security measures and modern infrastructure required to host a world-class global showpiece.”

If successful, Nairobi would make history by becoming the first African city to host the senior World Athletics Championships. Although the continent has staged several major international athletics competitions, the senior World Championships have never been held on African soil.

Kenya’s application is backed by a long and distinguished athletics tradition. The country has established itself as one of the world’s leading athletics nations, particularly in middle- and long-distance races, producing numerous Olympic and world champions as well as record-breaking athletes over the years.

Beyond its success on the track and road, Kenya has accumulated significant experience in hosting international athletics competitions. Mombasa staged the World Cross Country Championships in 2007, while Nairobi hosted the World Athletics Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in 2021.

The country has also hosted the African Athletics Championships, with the 2010 edition held at Nyayo National Stadium, while Nairobi continues to stage international competitions on the World Athletics calendar.

Among the prominent annual events is the Kip Keino Classic, a major track and field meeting held in Nairobi, alongside established cross-country competitions such as the Sirkwa Classic in Uasin Gishu County.

Those events have given Kenya valuable experience in managing international athletes, officials, media and spectators, while strengthening the country’s case as a capable host of major athletics competitions.

However, securing the 2029 championships would require Nairobi to demonstrate that it can provide infrastructure and services capable of supporting an event of global scale. Beyond Kasarani, attention will be placed on transport, accommodation, security, training facilities, medical services and the wider logistical requirements associated with bringing thousands of athletes and visitors to the capital.

Nairobi’s European rivals also present formidable bids. London has extensive experience hosting major global athletics competitions, including the 2012 Olympic Games athletics programme and the 2017 World Championships. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico has a long history of international sporting events, while Munich’s Olympiastadion is another venue with considerable experience hosting major competitions.

Nairobi’s strongest advantage could therefore be the opportunity to take the senior World Athletics Championships to a new continent. A successful Kenyan bid would not only deliver the championships to Africa for the first time but would also represent a significant milestone for the continent’s athletics movement.

For Kenya, hosting the event would provide an opportunity to showcase its athletics heritage to a worldwide audience while potentially accelerating investment in sports infrastructure, event management and related sectors.

It would also give Kenyan and African athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level of the sport in front of a home continental audience.

World Athletics is expected to announce the successful host cities for the 2029 and 2031 championships after the Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next month.