1897 in sports

1897 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football
College championship Professional championships
 * College football national championship – Penn Quakers
 * Western Pennsylvania champions – Greensburg Athletic Association

Association football
England Scotland
 * The Football League – Aston Villa 47 points, Sheffield United 36, Derby County 36, Preston North End 34, Liverpool 33, Sheffield Wednesday 31
 * FA Cup final – Aston Villa 3–2 Everton at Crystal Palace, London.
 * Aston Villa becomes the second club to complete The Double in English football
 * Scottish Football League – Hearts
 * Scottish Cup – Rangers 5–1 Dumbarton at Hampden Park

Athletics

 * John J. McDermott wins the first running of the Boston Marathon, then known as the B.A.A. Road Race
 * USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Australian rules football
VFL Premiership
 * Formation of Victorian Football League (now Australian Football League) with initial clubs being Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne
 * Essendon wins the 1st VFL Premiership (under the finals system used this year only, no Grand Final is played)

Baseball
National championship Events
 * Boston Beaneaters wins the National League championship
 * Temple Cup – Baltimore Orioles 4–1 Boston Beaneaters

Boxing
Events Lineal world champions
 * 17 March — Bob Fitzsimmons knocks out James J. Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the first championship fight ever captured on film.
 * World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Corbett → Bob Fitzsimmons
 * World Middleweight Championship – title vacant
 * World Welterweight Championship – Tommy Ryan
 * World Lightweight Championship – George "Kid" Lavigne
 * World Featherweight Championship – George Dixon → Solly Smith
 * World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry

Cricket
Events England Australia India South Africa West Indies
 * Two English teams toured the West Indies under A A Priestley and Lord Hawke
 * A Philadelphian team tours England
 * County Championship – Lancashire
 * Minor Counties Championship – Worcestershire
 * Most runs – Bobby Abel 2099 @ 44.65 (HS 250)
 * Most wickets – Tom Richardson 273 @ 14.45 (BB 8–49)
 * Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year – Frederick Bull, Willis Cuttell, Frank Druce, Gilbert Jessop, Jack Mason
 * Sheffield Shield – New South Wales
 * Most runs – Jack Lyons 404 @ 57.71 (HS 113)
 * Most wickets – Tom McKibbin 44 @ 14.88 (BB 8–74)
 * Bombay Presidency – Europeans
 * Currie Cup – Western Province
 * Inter-Colonial Tournament – Barbados

Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships
 * World Men's Champion – Gustav Hügel (Austria)

Golf
Major tournaments Other tournaments
 * British Open – Harold Hilton
 * U.S. Open – Joe Lloyd
 * British Amateur – Jack Allan
 * US Amateur – H. J. Whigham

Horse racing
England Australia Canada Ireland USA
 * Grand National – Manifesto
 * 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Chelandry
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Galtee More
 * The Derby – Galtee More
 * The Oaks – Limasol
 * St. Leger Stakes – Galtee More
 * Melbourne Cup – Gaulus
 * Queen's Plate – Ferdinand
 * Irish Grand National – Breemount's Pride
 * Irish Derby Stakes – Wales
 * Kentucky Derby – Typhoon II
 * Preakness Stakes – Paul Kauvar
 * Belmont Stakes – Scottish Chieftain

Ice hockey
Stanley Cup
 * Montreal Victorias win a 3rd Stanley Cup, defeating Ottawa.

Motor racing
Nice Speed Week
 * The first regular motor racing venue is Nice, France, where an annual "Speed Week" is established. To fill out the schedule, most types of racing event are invented here including the first hill climb, from Nice to La Turbie, and a sprint that has been called the forerunner of drag racing.

Rowing
The Boat Race
 * 3 April — Oxford wins the 54th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Rugby league
England
 * Championship – not contested
 * Challenge Cup final – Batley 10–3 St. Helens at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds. This is the inaugural competition.
 * Lancashire League Championship – Broughton Rangers
 * Yorkshire League Championship – Brighouse Rovers

Rugby union
Home Nations Championship
 * 15th Home Nations Championship series is not completed

Speed skating
Speed Skating World Championships
 * Men's All-round Champion – Jack McCulloch (Canada)

Tennis
Events England France USA
 * The inaugural French women's singles championship is held.
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Reginald Doherty (GB) defeats Harold Mahony (Ireland) 6–4 6–4 6–3
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Blanche Bingley Hillyard (GB) defeats Charlotte Cooper Sterry (GB) 5–7 7–5 6–2
 * French Men's Singles Championship – Paul Aymé defeats Francky Wardan (GB) 4–6 6–4 6–2
 * French Women's Singles Championship – Françoise Masson (France) defeats P. Girod (France) 6–3 6–1
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Robert Wrenn (USA) defeats Wilberforce Eaves (GB) 4–6 8–6 6–3 2–6 6–2
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Juliette Atkinson (USA) defeats Elisabeth Moore (USA) 6–3 6–3 4–6 3–6 6–3