| 1 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 4:24.94 | | - | 25 |
| 2 | Gunda Kleemann (Neo) | GDR | 4:25.84 | | +0.900 | 22 |
| 3 | Gabi Zange (Senior) | GDR | 4:26.82 | | +1.880 | 20 |
| 4 | Ingrid Paul (Neo) | NED | 4:33.95 | | +9.010 | 18 |
| 5 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 4:33.97 | NR | +9.030 | 16 |
| 6 | Svetlana Sjurova-Bojko (Neo) | URS | 4:34.27 | | +9.330 | 15 |
| 7 | Ria Visser (Senior) | NED | 4:35.12 | | +10.180 | 14 |
| 8 | Anja Mischke (Neo) | FRG | 4:37.16 | | +12.220 | 13 |
| 9 | Grietje Mulder (Neo) | NED | 4:37.50 | | +12.560 | 12 |
| 10 | Angelika Haßmann (Senior) | FRG | 4:38.11 | | +13.170 | 11 |
| 11 | Jasmin Krohn (Neo) | SWE | 4:38.61 | | +13.670 | 10 |
| 12 | Małgorzata Tomporowska (Neo) | POL | 4:39.26 | | +14.320 | 9 |
| 13 | Jelena Tumanova (Neo) | URS | 4:39.72 | | +14.780 | 8 |
| 14 | Bjørg Eva Jensen (Senior) | NOR | 4:39.75 | SB | +14.810 | 7 |
| 15 | Mihaela Dascălu (A1) | ROU | 4:42.12 | NRJ, NR, TRJ | +17.180 | 6 |
| 16 | Anzjelika Vasiljeva (Neo) | URS | 4:42.80 | | +17.860 | 5 |
| 17 | Elena Belci-Dal Farra (Senior) | ITA | 4:43.26 | | +18.320 | 4 |
| 18 | Minna Nystedt (Neo) | NOR | 4:43.45 | | +18.510 | 3 |
| 19 | Svetlana Katsjuk (M30) | URS | 4:43.65 | | +18.710 | 2 |
| 20 | Jolanda Grimbergen (Neo) | NED | 4:43.88 | SB | +18.940 | 1 |
| 21 | Petra Becker (Neo) | FRG | 4:44.08 | | +19.140 | 0 |
| 22 | Cerasela Simona Hordobeţiu (A2) | ROU | 4:50.70 | | +25.760 | 0 |
| 23 | Lena.61 Andersson (Senior) | SWE | 4:51.21 | | +26.270 | 0 |
| 24 | Else Ragni Yttredal (A2) | NOR | 4:52.05 | SB | +27.110 | 0 |
| 25 | Emese Nemeth-Hunyady (Neo) | AUT | 4:56.06 | | +31.120 | 0 |
| 26 | Stéphanie Dumont (Neo) | FRA | 4:56.43 | | +31.490 | 0 |
| 27 | Ida Stárková (Neo) | TCH | 4:57.00 | NR | +32.060 | 0 |
| 28 | Szilviá Szikora (Neo) | HUN | 5:02.20 | | +37.260 | 0 |
| 29 | Erzsébet Kútvölgyi (Neo) | HUN | 5:06.84 | SB | +41.900 | 0 |
| 30 | Rose-Marie Karlsson (Senior) | SWE | 5:06.88 | | +41.940 | 0 |
| 31 | Ylva Fors (Senior) | SWE | 5:21.10 | | +56.160 | 0 |