The women's 5000m race at the 1997 World Athletics Championships was held on August 9th.
Winners
| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Gabriela Szabo Romania | Roberta Brunet Italy | Fernanda Ribeiro Portugal |
Final
| A place | Name | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriela Szabo ( ROU ) | 14: 57.68 | ||
| Robert Brunet ( ITA ) | 14: 58.29 | SB | |
| Fernanda Ribeiro ( POR ) | 14: 58.85 | ||
| four | Paula Radcliffe ( GBR ) | 15: 01.74 | |
| five | Lydia Cheromei ( KEN ) | 15: 07.88 | |
| 6 | Liu Jianying ( CHN ) | 15: 10.64 | PB |
| 7 | Libby Hickman ( USA ) | 15: 11.15 | PB |
| eight | Harumi Hiroyama ( JPN ) | 15: 21.19 | |
| 9 | Li Wei ( CHN ) | 15: 24.04 | |
| ten | Merima Denbob ( ETH ) | 15: 27.76 | |
| eleven | Kate Anderson ( AUS ) | 15: 27.78 | |
| 12 | Aylesh Vorku ( ETH ) | 15: 28.07 | |
| 13 | Naoko Takahashi ( JPN ) | 15: 32.83 | |
| 15 | Gunhild Halle ( NOR ) | 15: 37.85 | |
| sixteen | Yuko Kawakami ( JPN ) | 15: 45.48 |