London has officially lost its bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with the event awarded to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The decision makes Nairobi the first African city to ever host the global championships, a milestone described as historic by World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
Speaking at a press conference in Budapest, Lord Coe emphasized the significance of bringing the championships to Africa, describing Nairobi as a dynamic, modern metropolis and the cultural and economic center of East Africa. He praised the city’s emotional and compelling bid, noting that Kenya’s deep-rooted passion for athletics made it the right time for the nation to host the event.
The choice of Kenya has sparked some debate, particularly given that 148 elite Kenyan athletes are currently serving bans issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit. In response, a World Athletics spokesperson defended the selection by highlighting the Kenyan government’s commitment to invest $5 million annually in anti-doping measures. The spokesperson noted that the hosting of the championships is expected to serve as a catalyst for the country’s ongoing anti-doping efforts, stating that it would put a spotlight on clean sport and galvanize the nation behind compliance.
The London bid team, which had been considered a frontrunner for the 2029 games, was left stunned by the announcement. A senior member of the team described themselves as being completely gutted by the outcome. The failed bid was valued at £45 million, comprising £35 million in government funding and a £10 million contribution from the mayor’s office.
UK Athletics chief executive Jack Buckner expressed profound disappointment, noting that while they believed they had offered an outstanding proposal that could have elevated the sport, they would now look to regroup. Buckner acknowledged that athletes enjoy competing in London and affirmed that the organization would continue to explore future opportunities for hosting major events.
Internal discussions within the London camp suggest some believe the outcome was less about specific bid shortcomings and more about a desire from World Athletics to bring the championships to the African continent. However, retrospective analysis points to potential hurdles, including a prolonged public negotiation with West Ham regarding stadium usage for September 2029, and concerns over attendance figures during last month’s European championships in Birmingham.
Concurrent with the decision on 2029, Munich was awarded the rights to host the 2031 World Athletics Championships. Lord Coe lauded Germany’s proven track record as a host, highlighting the successful 2009 Berlin championships and the strong public support seen during the 2022 events in Munich. This selection provides a boost to Germany’s aspirations for a potential Summer Olympics bid in either 2036 or 2040. The report also notes that which had been seen widely as the frontrunner for 2029, said they were “totally gutted”, one senior source in the London team. The report also notes that made up of £35m from the government and £10m from the mayor’s office, might not get over the line, only over the weekend did some start to fear that their £45m bid. The report also notes that and the sight of around 60,000 fans watching track and field every night for a week was a compelling proposition, london believed it had a strong case. The report also notes that “Although today’s announcement hasn’t gone our way, we will review and regroup. The report also notes that in hindsight, the lengthy public battle with West Ham to get permission to use the stadium in September 2029 – which was settled only on the eve of the bid being submitted – was not ideal. The report also notes that however, many in the London 2029 team are understood to believe those factors were irrelevant and it simply came down to a thirst in World Athletics for Kenya to host the championships, and the size of Nairobi’s bid.
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