Kenya’s hosting of the 2029 World Athletics Championships is expected to bolster efforts to address the country’s persistent doping challenges, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said during a visit to Nairobi on October 14. The East African nation, renowned for its dominance in middle- and long-distance running, has grappled with a significant number of doping violations in recent years.
Kenya was awarded the hosting rights for the biennial championships on September 15, marking the first time the event will be held on the African continent. At the upcoming 2025 championships in Tokyo, Kenya is projected to remain a strong contender, having secured second place overall at the previous edition with a total of 11 medals, including seven golds. Despite this success, the nation’s athletics reputation has been overshadowed by numerous doping suspensions. Since 2017, approximately 140 Kenyan athletes have been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), more than any other country.
Recent high-profile bans have included marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich, who received a three-year suspension in October 2025 after admitting to doping. Earlier that year, Bernard Kibet, a fifth-place finisher in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, was suspended, followed by Albert Korir, the 2021 New York Marathon winner, who received a five-year ban in March for testing positive for a banned substance.
Coe emphasized that hosting the championships will focus greater attention on the efforts to clean up Kenyan athletics. He noted that while challenges remain, “progress is being made,” citing reports from the AIU. “Is there more work to be done? Yes. Will these championships lend more focus to that? Absolutely,” he said.
The World Athletics president also highlighted the importance of athletics as a national sport in Kenya, where economic opportunities are limited and sports provide a pathway out of poverty for many. He described integrity in Kenyan athletics as a “key national imperative” and praised the increased resources allocated by Kenyan authorities to combat doping.
Coe credited the establishment of the AIU, created as part of broader reforms when he became World Athletics president 11 years ago, for advancing anti-doping measures. The AIU has implemented more rigorous, intelligence-driven testing compared to previous systems, contributing to greater enforcement efforts.
Though acknowledging that a perfectly clean sport remains elusive, Coe affirmed that Kenya has made significant strides in its fight against doping since 2015, and that the forthcoming championships will support continued progress.