Sports
UK Sport, UK Athletics Plan 2029 Bid For Worlds
United Kingdom Sport and UK Athletics are planning to bid to host the 2029 World Championships.
London, and the UK, last hosted the event in 2017.
A feasibility study needs to take place but Tidesports source has been told the sport’s leaders are “determined” to host “transformational” major championships.
“We’d love to have another crack at 2029 and a World Championships,” Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics, told the source.
“We just do a great job. Everyone talks about the atmosphere and every event we’ve done.
“We first of all have to do a feasibility study and look at what the various options are.”
He said “it would be in his mind” that London would be the city to host the event if the bid was successful.
“We can’t definitely say it’ll be London, but it would be in our mind given the success of it before. I think London [2017] was transformational and it built off 2012 [the Olympic Games]. It was transformational in all sorts of ways,” he added.
Glasgow hosted the World Indoor Championships over the weekend, while Birmingham will host the 2026 European Championships.
Britain’s Josh Kerr, who was crowned men’s 3,000m world indoor champion in Glasgow on Saturday, said a home World Championships would mark a “real full circle moment”.
“My first World Championships was in London in 2017, so that would be incredible if that was to come through and that would definitely push me to stick in the 1500m for as long as I can,” the Scot, also the 1500m world champion, told our source.
“It’s important for Britain to have athletics meets because it inspires generations of athletes to come through and know that there are athletes that are from where they’re from going after massive medals in front of home crowds.
“It makes a huge difference to grassroots athletics especially and it helps with coaching and allowing people to get an insight into our lives and that next stepping stone to where some athletes are now.”
This ambition to host the 2029 event forms part of a wider set of hosting aspirations set to be announced by the funding agency UK Sport.
The 2025 World Championships are set to take place in Tokyo, Japan. Last month, China’s capital Beijing was named as the host of the 2027 event.
The Bayelsa State government, yesterday, announced that the marathon will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
The inaugural race is owned by the Bayelsa State Government and will be organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited, a sports management company.
Under the theme “The Reveal,” the race represents a bold unveiling of Bayelsa’s immense human and cultural potential to the international community, inviting the world to witness the resilience, grit, and talent rooted in the heart of the Niger Delta.
According to the organisers, the race will be flagged off at 9:30 a.m., at the Opolo Roundabout, guiding participants through a carefully designed 10-kilometre route that highlights the scenic beauty and vibrant atmosphere of Yenagoa.
The course will culminate at Peace Park Square, where athletes will cross the finish line into a grand celebration of endurance, unity, and community spirit.
To elevate the experience for runners and spectators alike, the finish venue will host a high-energy post-race concert featuring performances from top A-list artistes, blending sport and entertainment in a festival-style atmosphere.
The organisers directed all registered participants to collect their race bibs and kits at the designated Peace Park Square between March 30 and April 3, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.
The race, according to them, is currently on track for World Athletics accreditation, underscoring the commitment of both the Bayelsa State Government and Nilayo Sports Management Limited to delivering an event that meets the highest global standards.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, on Friday continued the Commission’s nationwide appreciation tour with a visit to Abeokuta, where outstanding junior athlete, Majekodunmi Afusat Bisola, was presented with a cheque of N3 million.
The presentation forms part of the NSC’s initiative to recognise and reward exceptional junior athletes who distinguished themselves in 2025 and contributed significantly to Nigeria’s medal haul.
Majekodunmi delivered an impressive run of performances on the track. At the last edition of the National Sports Festival, she stormed to gold in the 400m and the 4x400m relay. She replicated the double triumph at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Junior Championship, in Abeokuta, before emerging as one of the standout stars at the African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola.
Speaking during the presentation, Olopade explained that the Commission deemed it necessary to extend financial appreciation to grassroots athletes after elite performers had earlier received grants running into thousands of dollars.
“A few weeks ago, after paying grants to our elite athletes, we agreed tthere was a need to also appreciate these young, budding talents who made Nigeria proud last year,” he said.
He disclosed that of the 376 medals recorded by Nigerian athletes in 2025, more than 200 were won by grassroots talents, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in youth development.
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