| 1 | Ans Schut (Neo) | NED | 4:56.20 | OR, TR | - |
| 2 | Kaija Mustonen (Senior) | FIN | 5:01.00 | NR | +4.800 |
| 3 | Stien Kaiser (Senior) | NED | 5:01.30 | | +5.100 |
| 4 | Kaija-Liisa Keskivitikka (Neo) | FIN | 5:03.90 | PB | +7.700 |
| 5 | Wil Burgmeijer (Neo) | NED | 5:05.10 | | +8.900 |
| 6 | Lidija Skoblikova (Senior) | URS | 5:08.00 | SB | +11.800 |
| 7 | Christina Lindblom (Senior) | SWE | 5:09.80 | NR | +13.600 |
| 8 | Anna Sablina (Neo) | URS | 5:12.50 | | +16.300 |
| 9 | Sigrid Sundby-Dybedahl (Senior) | NOR | 5:13.30 | NR | +17.100 |
| 10 | Jean Ashworth (Senior) | USA | 5:14.00 | NR | +17.800 |
| 11 | Jeanne Omelenchuk (M35) | USA | 5:14.90 | NRM | +18.700 |
| 12 | Lāsma Kauniste (Senior) | URS | 5:16.00 | | +19.800 |
| 13 | Christina.46 Karlsson (Neo) | SWE | 5:17.20 | | +21.000 |
| 14 | Toy Dorgan (Neo) | USA | 5:17.60 | PB | +21.400 |
| 15 | Martine Ivangine (Neo) | FRA | 5:19.30 | NR | +23.100 |
| 16 | Lisbeth Berg (Neo) | NOR | 5:19.60 | SB | +23.400 |
| 17 | Kari Kåring (A2) | NOR | 5:20.60 | NRJ | +24.400 |
| 18 | Doreen McCannell (Neo) | CAN | 5:21.50 | | +25.300 |
| 19 | Paula Dufter (B2) | FRG | 5:27.00 | | +30.800 |
| 20 | Jitsuko Saito (Neo) | JPN | 5:27.80 | | +31.600 |
| 21 | Kaname Ide (Neo) | JPN | 5:27.90 | SB | +31.700 |
| 22 | Marcia Parsons (Neo) | CAN | 5:29.50 | PB | +33.300 |
| Kwee-Jin Kim (Neo) | KOR | 5:29.50 | NR | +33.300 |
| 24 | Arja Kantola (A2) | FIN | 5:30.70 | SB | +34.500 |
| 25 | Marie-Lise Perrenoud (Neo) | FRA | 5:41.70 | | +45.500 |
| 26 | Patricia Tipper (Neo) | GBR | 5:49.00 | NR | +52.800 |