Nairobi has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making it the first African nation to stage the prestigious event. The decision comes despite significant concerns regarding doping within Kenyan athletics, with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) reporting 148 Kenyan athletes currently serving doping bans, a figure second only to India.
The bid from Nairobi reportedly impressed World Athletics chiefs with an emotional appeal focused on the historic nature of an African host. The bid also highlighted that the 2029 championships will be the final edition to feature the marathon.
London, which spent £45 million on its unsuccessful bid, and Rome were overlooked. Munich is set to host the subsequent World Championships in 2031. The AIU continues to dedicate resources to investigating what it describes as endemic doping in Kenya, with recent cases including marathon runner Caren Chelagat, who received a four-year ban last week for testing positive for norandrosterone.