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Nairobi has won the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Kenya the first African country to stage the senior global championships.
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Kenya’s case extends beyond its record of producing world-class athletes, with 68 per cent of Kenyans describing themselves as interested in athletics
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Kenyan fans rank fourth among the most engaged audiences on World Athletics’ social media channels,
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The championships will be staged at Moi International Stadium, Kasarani, giving Kenya an opportunity to combine its deep athletics culture with its growing experience of hosting major international competitions.
September 15, (THEWILL) – Nairobi has been awarded the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, delivering a historic breakthrough for African athletics as the continent prepares to stage the senior global championships for the first time.
The Kenyan capital has secured one of the biggest events on the international athletics calendar, bringing the world’s leading track and field athletes to Africa in a decision that reflects both Kenya’s extraordinary athletics pedigree and the country’s enormous appetite for the sport.
For Kenya, the significance goes beyond simply hosting a major championship.
The country has spent decades producing Olympic and world champions, but it has never previously staged the senior World Athletics Championships.
That will change in 2029.
Kenya’s bid backed by huge athletics interest
Kenya’s case to host the championships was strengthened by the extraordinary popularity of athletics among its population.
According to figures presented as part of the hosting case, 68 per cent of Kenyans rate themselves as interested in athletics, compared with a global average of just 38 per cent.
That makes Kenya the single most interested market in athletics, underlining the depth of public support behind the sport.
The country’s supporters are also highly engaged with World Athletics online.
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Kenyan fans rank fourth highest among audiences on World Athletics’ social media channels, while Kenya has the highest Net Promoter Score of any market.
Athletics is also the second most followed sport in Kenya, further demonstrating why bringing the sport’s biggest championship to Nairobi could generate an unusually strong home audience.
Those numbers give additional weight to Kenya’s argument that the championships would not simply be another international sporting event arriving in Africa.
It would be an event coming to one of the world’s most passionate athletics markets.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
