New dawn for African athletics as continent curves niche in hosting international events

A new era is dawning for African athletics and for the first time ever, the continent is set to launch its own structured athletics tour that might just mirror the world’s biggest circuits.

The ground-breaking project has emerged as one of Africa’s earliest gains following the appointment of Barnaba Korir as the continent’s first-ever African Technical Delegate at a global World Athletics event.

Speaking exclusively to Citizen Digital, Korir revealed that plans are already underway for the inaugural Africa Athletics Tour, expected to debut in the 2027 season between March and April.

“I will lead that delegation of East, South, Northern and West Africa. We want to launch a tour on the calendar between March and April 2027,” Korir affirmed.

According to Korir, the initiative is designed to bridge a long-standing gap that has left African athletes disadvantaged compared to their counterparts in Europe, America and parts of Asia, where indoor and early-season competitions offer athletes a platform to build form, earn ranking points and attract sponsors.

“This tour will give African athletes a chance to prepare for the summer season at home, just like athletes in Europe and America do through indoor circuits,” he explained. “Africa has always produced world-beating talent, but we have lacked a structured early-season competition platform. World Athletics has recognised that gap and supported the idea.”

The move comes at a time when Africa’s presence on the World Athletics Continental Tour calendar continues to grow rapidly.

For decades, East and Southern Africa have remained the heartbeat of global middle and long-distance running, producing Olympic and world champions year after year. Yet despite the unmatched talent pool, the continent has lagged behind in hosting elite competitions capable of generating significant commercial returns.

In 2026, Africa hosted six Continental Tour meetings, a major leap that officials have described as a “breakthrough for the sport on the continent”. Botswana staged four meetings, Kenya hosted the continent’s only Gold-level event through the Kip Keino Classic, while South Africa hosted a silver label meet.

Africa is also enjoying a steady rise in hosting world-class athletics events.  Botswana also earned global praise for staging the stellar Debswana World Relays in Gaborone. The inaugural Addis Ababa Grand Prix held on April 18, 2026, at the newly renovated Addis Ababa Stadium was hailed as a huge success, prompting World Athletics to elevate the meeting to prestigious Gold Label status from the 2027 season, further cementing Africa’s growing reputation as a capable host of elite athletics competitions.

World Athletics currently classifies Continental Tour meetings into four categories: Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger depending on the quality of competition and prize money offered.

But despite the rapid rise, infrastructure and funding remain the biggest hurdles. The success of the ambitious Africa Athletics Tour will heavily depend on governments delivering world-class stadiums on time and backing the project financially.

“The dream is to build an African circuit that can eventually match the commercial and competitive strength of world top athletics leagues,” said Korir. “Our athletes dominate global championships so we want African fans to watch world-class athletes consistently participating on African soil.”

Beyond the global stage, Korir also serves as Director of Athletics Kenya’s Youth Development Committee and First Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, while remaining one of the key figures behind some of Kenya’s biggest road races and athletics events.