A bid in support of London hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships was officially submitted on Thursday ahead of the final selection process according to the group hoping to land the event in just over three years.
Athletic Ventures, a consortium of the United Kingdom’s top sporting bodies, confirmed the proposal which includes input from UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and the Great Run Company with support from the British Government.
The winning bid is expected the be announced in September with London looking to stage with world championships at London Stadium, the same site from the 2017 version of the event, which was the last time the city took on hosting duties.
“Bidding to hold the World Athletics Championships in the London Stadium, the showpiece of London 2012, was always at the centre of the UK’s Olympic legacy plans,” Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics said. “We are very grateful to the Government, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and UK Sport for their fantastic support for this bid. We’re delighted that we have reached agreement with the London Stadium and West Ham United for the use of the London Stadium and our sincere thanks for their commitment in making this happen.”
UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and the Great Run Company all serve as equal co-founders of Athletic Ventures and a serious bid to lure the world championships back to London gained massive traction last year when it was apparent that the $60 million bid package would get a $13 million contribution from London mayor Sadiq Khan’s administration.
A large portion would be contributed by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government backing and at the time he stressed that winning the bid would help build the country’s reputation for “hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent”
Last June, over 100 prominent British athletes like Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr and Katarina Johnson-Thompson issued an open letter to government officials that urged them to put the resources behind a legitimate bid.
Weeks later, the UK government publicly confirmed its plans to help with the process after some speculation that it would focus its efforts on other sporting events like bringing in the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Our bid is not just about what happens within the London Stadium. Sport has the power to bring communities together, to change lives and to inspire the next generation,” Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events said. “The 2029 World Athletics Championships in London would drive more than £400 million ($540 million) in economic and social benefit in the capital and nationwide. Our innovative plans for staging parallel mass participation events for all ages and abilities across the UK as part of the bid will help to get the UK moving again, with all the mental and physical health benefits that activity brings.”
Meanwhile, West Ham, the professional soccer club that plays in London Stadium, said on Thursday that it would contribute its own support for the bid and work toward enhancements at the venue to ensure that the facility meets World Athletics’ criteria for a host city. The club also acknowledged that it looked toward a compromise that would not impact fans of the team but has reached an agreement with stadium operators and Athletics Ventures to be included in the bid.
“As part of the new agreement, the Club and London Stadium will work together to deliver a number of new initiatives that will enhance the stadium and matchday experience for supporters,” a statment from the club read. “That process will now begin, with further updates provided to supporters in due course.”
London Stadium opened in 2011 as a central part of the city’s successful 2012 Olympic bid and later became the home of West Ham.
