| 1 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich (Senior) | GDR | 4:17.75 | | - | 25 |
| 2 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 4:21.13 | | +3.380 | 22 |
| 3 | Gabi Zange (Senior) | GDR | 4:24.30 | | +6.550 | 20 |
| 4 | Gunda Kleemann (Neo) | GDR | 4:25.84 | | +8.090 | 18 |
| 5 | Mary Docter (Senior) | USA | 4:29.35 | SB | +11.600 | 16 |
| 6 | Jelena Tumanova (Neo) | URS | 4:32.51 | | +14.760 | 15 |
| 7 | Ingrid Paul (Neo) | NED | 4:33.01 | | +15.260 | 14 |
| 8 | Ria Visser (Senior) | NED | 4:34.24 | | +16.490 | 13 |
| 9 | Grietje Mulder (Neo) | NED | 4:35.16 | | +17.410 | 12 |
| 10 | Inga Gilauri (Neo) | URS | 4:36.08 | | +18.330 | 11 |
| 11 | Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr. (F1) | USA | 4:37.09 | NRJ | +19.340 | 10 |
| 12 | Emese Nemeth-Hunyady (Neo) | AUT | 4:38.36 | NR | +20.610 | 9 |
| 13 | Elena Belci-Dal Farra (Senior) | ITA | 4:39.56 | | +21.810 | 8 |
| 14 | Małgorzata Tomporowska (Neo) | POL | 4:41.61 | | +23.860 | 7 |
| 15 | Jasmin Krohn (Neo) | SWE | 4:41.72 | | +23.970 | 6 |
| 16 | Ewa Justyna Wasilewska-Borkowska (Neo) | POL | 4:42.41 | | +24.660 | 5 |
| 17 | Irina Bogatova (Senior) | URS | 4:44.04 | | +26.290 | 4 |
| 18 | Leslie Bader (Senior) | USA | 4:44.72 | | +26.970 | 3 |
| 19 | Lena.61 Andersson (Senior) | SWE | 4:45.99 | | +28.240 | 2 |
| 20 | Aila Tartia (M30) | FIN | 4:46.75 | NRM | +29.000 | 1 |
| 21 | Szilviá Szikora (Neo) | HUN | 4:49.68 | | +31.930 | 0 |
| 22 | Stéphanie Dumont (Neo) | FRA | 4:50.15 | | +32.400 | 0 |
| 23 | Natalja Sjive-Glebova (Senior) | URS | 4:50.83 | SB | +33.080 | 0 |
| 24 | Petra Moolhuizen (Senior) | NED | 4:51.11 | | +33.360 | 0 |
| 25 | Ylva Fors (Senior) | SWE | 4:53.72 | | +35.970 | 0 |
| 26 | Anette Hammarin (Neo) | SWE | 4:56.54 | | +38.790 | 0 |