The 10,000 metres event was hosted separately at the Sheffield Hallam UCA Stadium.

This has led some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS), to judge the British Championships event as the main national championships for the country for 1997.

[1][2] The bankruptcy of the British Athletics Federation that same year effectively rendered the competition defunct.

The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1997 World Championships in Athletics.

British javelin champion Steve Backley claimed world silver in Athens.