| 1 | Stien Baas-Kaiser (Senior) | NED | 4:52.14 | OR, TR | - |
| 2 | Dianne Holum (Neo) | USA | 4:58.67 | | +6.530 |
| 3 | Atje Keulen-Deelstra (M30) | NED | 4:59.91 | | +7.770 |
| 4 | Sippie Tigchelaar (A2) | NED | 5:01.67 | TRJ | +9.530 |
| 5 | Nina Statkevitsj (Senior) | URS | 5:01.79 | | +9.650 |
| 6 | Kapitolina Seregina (Senior) | URS | 5:01.88 | PB | +9.740 |
| 7 | Tuula Vilkas (Neo) | FIN | 5:05.92 | | +13.780 |
| 8 | Ljudmila Kiseljova-Savrulina (Neo) | URS | 5:06.61 | | +14.470 |
| 9 | Pil-Hwa Han (M30) | PRK | 5:07.24 | SB | +15.100 |
| 10 | Sigrid Sundby-Dybedahl (Senior) | NOR | 5:07.76 | | +15.620 |
| 11 | Bok-Soon Kim (Neo) | PRK | 5:07.93 | SB | +15.790 |
| 12 | Satomi Koike (Neo) | JPN | 5:09.21 | | +17.070 |
| 13 | Ok-Soon Kim (Neo) | PRK | 5:09.69 | SB | +17.550 |
| 14 | Sylvia Filipsson (A2) | SWE | 5:11.13 | NRJ | +18.990 |
| 15 | Rosemarie Taupadel (Neo) | GDR | 5:12.85 | | +20.710 |
| 16 | Kaname Ide (Senior) | JPN | 5:17.30 | | +25.160 |
| 17 | Leah Poulos (Neo) | USA | 5:17.38 | | +25.240 |
| 18 | Akiko Aruga (Senior) | JPN | 5:22.60 | | +30.460 |
| 19 | Seon-Ok Jeon (Neo) | KOR | 5:24.27 | SB | +32.130 |
| 20 | Kirsti Biermann (Neo) | NOR | 5:26.21 | SB | +34.070 |
| 21 | Arja Kantola (Neo) | FIN | 5:30.88 | | +38.740 |
| 22 | Jeanne Omelenchuk (M40) | USA | 5:32.87 | | +40.730 |