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- 2029 World Athletics Championships might be held in UK
- London Stadium may be taken up as potential venue
- West Ham face moving out
The global track and field event, now planned as the closing act of the international athletics season under a new initiative by World Athletics, is likely to take place in September 2029. This timing presents a scheduling headache, as it would overlap with the start of the 2029-30 الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز campaign. Although the official bid will include alternate dates in July and August, it is understood that September remains the priority month for World Athletics if London is selected, as revealed by The Times. However, the proposed event would return world-class athletics to the capital for the first time since 2017, when London hosted a memorable edition of the Championships that drew capacity crowds and generated over £100m ($135m) in economic benefits for the city.
The London Stadium, which was originally built as the centrepiece of the 2012 Olympic Games, still features the infrastructure to accommodate athletics. To host a track event, however, the venue requires a reconfiguration of seating, which, while significantly faster than in previous years, still demands several days to complete. Previously, transforming the stadium for athletics took up to 15 days. Recent innovations have reduced this process to approximately four days, but organisers would still need the venue for a two- to three-week stretch to accommodate setup, the event itself, and post-event arrangements.
This timeframe would prevent West Ham from playing any home games during the early weeks of the football season, forcing the Premier League and UEFA (if the club qualifies for European competitions that year) to schedule only away fixtures during that period. While it is common to request away games during stadium renovations or other interruptions, a three-week absence would be more complex to manage. Even planning the games around the international break, which typically includes a midweek and weekend slot, wouldn’t fully resolve the problem, especially if UEFA or Carabao Cup matches fall in that window.
It is believed that existing contractual agreements governing the use of the London Stadium grant precedence to a limited number of global sporting events. This clause would allow the World Athletics Championships to take priority over football matches during the designated period.
A spokesperson for the London Stadium acknowledged the potential of the bid and said: “We are delighted that London Stadium is seen as a potential venue for the World Athletics Championships in 2029, one of the biggest events on the world sporting calendar. The 2017 Championships we hosted to sold-out crowds were a huge success, bringing investment and more than £100million in economic benefits to London.
“It is early days in the process for 2029 and full details of any bid are to be developed, including potential dates for the event. During this process we will work closely with all our stakeholders, including West Ham, to make sure any benefits to the venue, city and country are considered fully alongside all other requirements.”
Should the bid succeed, London would once again be thrust into the global spotlight, hosting thousands of athletes, officials, and fans from around the world. But in exchange for that glory, local stakeholders, especially West Ham, will need to make compromises.
