The 17th Central American Championships in Athletics were held at the Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica, between June 3–4, 2005.

A total of 44 events were contested, 22 by men and 22 by women.

Complete results and medal winners were published.

†: Women's 3000 metres steeplechase and heptathlon might have been treated as exhibition because of the low number of participants (only 2 and 3 athletes, respectively).

This could explain the difference between a published medal table[4] and the unofficial count above for Costa Rica and El Salvador.