| Final | time | | | 1. Elly van Hulst |  NED | 8:33.82 | WR | | 2. Elizabeth McColgan |  GBR | 8:34.80 | | | 3. Margareta Keszeg |  ROU | 8:48.70 | | | 4. Vera Michallek |  FRG | 8:49.66 | | 5. Nicky Morris | GBR | 8:53.52 | | 6. Ludmilla Borissova |  URS | 9:04.75 | | 7. Zita Agoston |  HUN | 9:18.72 |
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| | | First 2 and Best 6 advanced to Final. |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Nadeshda Ryashkina | URS | 12:20.28 | Q | | 2. Beate Anders |  GDR | 12:22.22 | Q | | 3. Reyes Sobrino |  ESP | 12:27.82 | q | | 4. Ann Peel |  CAN | 12:36.46 | q | | 5. Andrea Alföldi | HUN | 12:47.70 | q | | 6. Bev Hayman |  AUS | 13:06.61 | | | 7. Andrea Brückmann | FRG | 13:21.72 | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Ileana Salvador |  ITA | 12:41.12 | Q | | 2. Kerry Saxby | AUS | 12:41.55 | Q | | 3. Anika Szebensky | HUN | 12:45.93 | q | | 4. Olga Sanchez | ESP | 12:50.87 | q | | 5. Dana Vavracova |  TCH | 12:52.01 | q | | 6. Teresa Vaill |  USA | 12:52.39 | | | -. Alison Baker | CAN | DQ | | | -. Valeriya Todorova |  BUL | DQ | |
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