Months ago, Keely Hodgkinson made headlines with a cheeky remark during the dispute over London Stadium. The venue is home to West Ham United, but London wanted to use it for the 2029 World Athletics Championships. With the bid at risk due to West Ham’s concerns over losing their stadium, Hodgkinson joked: “The GB team will bring back more medals to that stadium than West Ham have seen in their entire history.” Now, five months later, the issue has been resolved.

London has officially submitted its bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships after reaching an agreement with West Ham over the use of the London Stadium. Jack Buckner, the chief executive of UK Athletics and co-founder of AV, said: “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. We’re delighted that we have reached agreement with the London Stadium and West Ham United and our sincere thanks for their commitment in making this happen.”

The deal removes the biggest issue that had threatened to stop the city’s bid from moving forward. The disagreement centred around the timing of the championships. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe wants the event to take place in September 2029, bringing the athletics season to a close with a major global competition.

However, September is also the start of the football season, meaning West Ham were worried about losing access to their home stadium for several weeks. After more than a year of discussions involving West Ham, London Stadium officials, Athletics Ventures, UK Athletics, government representatives and the mayor of London’s office, both sides finally reached an agreement.

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The deal means the championships can take place at the London Stadium with minimal impact on West Ham’s schedule. Organisers believe the stadium can now be changed between football and athletics much faster because the seating system can be adjusted more efficiently. The expected disruption for West Ham will be limited.

The club will not play more than two away Premier League games in a single season, or three away games if the club is competing in the Championship in the 2029-30 season. West Ham also announced that they were in agreement with London Stadium LLP and Athletics Ventures, adding:

“The club’s highest priority has always been the West Ham United supporters, ensuring any agreed programme has minimal impact on the football schedule and respects the club’s overriding priority principle as detailed in the concession agreement.

With the stadium issue solved, London’s bid is now officially in the race to host the championships. The 2029 bid includes plans for athletics events across the UK, with organisers aiming to increase participation and create long-term benefits. 

London will compete against other interested cities, including Rome, Munich and Nairobi, as well as a possible Indian bid. World Athletics is expected to announce the host city in September 2026. Until then, London’s focus will be on presenting a strong case to bring the championships back to the stadium that has already played a major role in athletics history.

Before Keely Hodgkinson became involved in the London Stadium debate, the Olympic champion was already among more than 100 British athletes calling for the World Athletics Championships to return to London in 2029.

British Athletics stars unite to bring World Championships back to London

Earlier this year, the athletics stars wrote an open letter to the UK Prime Minister, urging the government to support the bid and bring the world’s biggest athletics event back to the London Stadium.

The letter was signed by some of Britain’s biggest names in athletics, including Sir Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson, Dina Asher-Smith, Josh Kerr, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Dame Kelly Holmes, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Paula Radcliffe and Daley Thompson. Together, the athletes have won more than 750 medals at international championships, including over 300 gold medals.

The athletes wanted the government to back London’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium, a venue that already has a strong connection with the sport. The stadium hosted athletics during the 2012 Olympic Games before staging the highly successful 2017 World Athletics Championships.

In their letter, the athletes explained that competing in front of a home crowd creates unforgettable moments for both athletes and fans. They argued that a home World Championships would inspire young athletes, encourage more people to get involved in sport and leave a lasting impact on communities across Britain.

The campaign was led by Athletic Ventures, a partnership between UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and the Great Run Company. Organisers said hosting the championships could create more than £400 million in economic and social benefits across the UK.

However, London’s bid later faced a major challenge because of the stadium’s other tenant, West Ham United. Months later, the issue was resolved.