The British 5,000 metres athletics champions covers four competitions; the current British Athletics Championships which was founded in 2007,[1] the preceding AAA Championships (1880-2006), the Amateur Athletic Club Championships (1866-1879) and finally the UK Athletics Championships which existed from 1977 until 1997 and ran concurrently with the AAA Championships.[2] The distance was originally 4 miles but in 1932 switched to 3 miles.
Where an international athlete won the AAA Championships the highest ranking UK athlete is considered the National Champion in this list.
| AAC Championships 4 miles, men's event only | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=80 | Year | width=300 | Men's champion |
| 1866 | Richard Garnett | ||
| 1867 | Gilbert G. Kennedy | ||
| 1868 | Walter Chinnery | ||
| 1869 | Walter Chinnery | ||
| 1870 | Henry Riches | ||
| 1871 | John Scott | ||
| 1872 | James Edgar | ||
| 1873 | Arthur Somerville | ||
| 1874 | Walter Slade | ||
| 1875 | James Gibb | ||
| 1876 | Alfred Goodwin | ||
| 1877 | James Gibb | ||
| 1878 | James Gibb | ||
| 1879 | James Warburton / Walter George | ||