Nairobi and Munich to host 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships

Two cities, Nairobi and Munich, have been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Championships in 2029 and 2031 respectively. This decision was made during a meeting of the World Athletics Council in Budapest. The 2029 event will be the first time athletics meets will be held in Africa. The Kenyan capital Nairobi will host the championships, while Munich will welcome the event for a third time in 2031.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe stated that the decision was difficult due to the strong bids received from both cities. Nairobi's selection is a significant milestone for athletics in Africa, as it will be the first major athletics event to be held on the continent. Nairobi has a strong track record in staging major international athletics events, having hosted the World U18 Championships, the World U20 Championships, and the Kip Keino Classic.

The city is also home to some of the world's top athletics talent, including Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, and Eliud Kipchoge. Munich, on the other hand, will be hosting the World Athletics Championships for the third time. The city has a strong tradition of hosting major athletics events, having previously hosted the European Championships in 2018 and the 2022 multi-sport European Championships, with athletics attracting around 267,000 spectators.

Germany has a strong vision and strategy to grow the sport and has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to stage major athletics events to a high standard.