| 1 | Lidija Skoblikova (Senior) | URS | 5:14.90 | TR | - |
| 2 | Pil-Hwa Han (Neo) | PRK | 5:18.50 | NR | +3.600 |
| Valentina.34 Stenina (Senior) | URS | 5:18.50 | | +3.600 |
| 4 | Klara Guseva-Nesterova (Senior) | URS | 5:22.50 | SB | +7.600 |
| 5 | Kaija Mustonen (Neo) | FIN | 5:24.30 | | +9.400 |
| 6 | Hatsue Takemizawa-Nagakubo (Senior) | JPN | 5:25.40 | SB | +10.500 |
| 7 | Song-Soon Kim (Senior) | PRK | 5:25.90 | | +11.000 |
| 8 | Doreen McCannell (B1) | CAN | 5:26.40 | NRJ, NR, TRJ | +11.500 |
| 9 | Christina Scherling (Senior) | SWE | 5:27.60 | | +12.700 |
| 10 | Kaija-Liisa Keskivitikka (A1) | FIN | 5:29.40 | NRJ | +14.500 |
| 11 | Jean Ashworth (Senior) | USA | 5:30.30 | | +15.400 |
| 12 | Yasuko Takano (Neo) | JPN | 5:30.40 | SB | +15.500 |
| 13 | Wol-Ja Baek (Neo) | PRK | 5:30.80 | PB | +15.900 |
| 14 | Inger Eriksson (Neo) | SWE | 5:32.60 | | +17.700 |
| 15 | Gunilla Jacobsson (A1) | SWE | 5:39.20 | | +24.300 |
| 16 | Kaneko Takahashi (Neo) | JPN | 5:39.60 | | +24.700 |
| 17 | Rita Blankenburg (Neo) | GDR | 5:40.80 | SB | +25.900 |
| 18 | Kornelia Ihász (Senior) | HUN | 5:41.40 | | +26.500 |
| 19 | Kwee-Jin Kim (A1) | KOR | 5:41.60 | NRJ, NR | +26.700 |
| 20 | Tsedenjavyn Lhamjav (Neo) | MGL | 5:42.60 | | +27.700 |
| 21 | Sylvia White (Neo) | USA | 5:42.70 | | +27.800 |
| 22 | Inge Lieckfeldt (Neo) | GDR | 5:42.70 | | +27.800 |
| 23 | Barbara Lockhart (Neo) | USA | 5:43.20 | | +28.300 |
| 24 | Doreen Ryan (M30) | CAN | 5:46.50 | NRM | +31.600 |
| 25 | Adelhejda Mroske (Neo) | POL | 5:47.10 | | +32.200 |
| 26 | Helena Pilejczyk (M30) | POL | 5:47.30 | | +32.400 |
| 27 | Willy de Beer (Neo) | NED | 5:49.90 | | +35.000 |
| 28 | Erika Heinicke (Senior) | GDR | 5:56.00 | | +41.100 |