It was the first edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, because the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes below also competed at the 1977 AAA Championships.[1][2]
The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1977 European Cup. Distance runners Steve Ovett and Nick Rose won both the UK event and the European Cup title. Sanderson, Lannaman, Bennett were minor medallists there, as were women's 400 metres champion Donna Hartley and men's long jump runner-up Roy Mitchell.[3][4]