Nairobi, Kenya, has been chosen to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, shutting out London and securing the global competition’s first staging on African soil.

The decision was announced after a World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest, where Kenya’s capital emerged ahead of London in the contest to host the prestigious athletics event.

World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, described Nairobi’s proposal as a strong bid, saying the decision marked an important step in expanding the championships’ global reach.

“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the council,” Coe said.

He said Nairobi had demonstrated that it had the capacity and circumstances required to host the championships, adding that bringing the competition to Africa for the first time would be historic.

The decision means Africa will join Asia and Europe among the continents scheduled to host the World Athletics Championships over the next three editions, according to World Athletics.

London had based its bid around the London Stadium, which hosted athletics during the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Athletics Championships. It is also the venue for the annual London Diamond League.

The UK bid was led by Athletic Ventures, a partnership involving UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and the Great Run Company. Source: World Athletics.