| 1 | Claudia Pechstein (Senior) | GER | 3:57.70 | WR | - |
| 2 | Renate Groenewold (Senior) | NED | 3:58.94 | NR | +1.240 |
| 3 | Cindy Klassen (Neo) | CAN | 3:58.97 | NR | +1.270 |
| 4 | Anni Friesinger (Senior) | GER | 3:59.39 | SB | +1.690 |
| 5 | Tonny de Jong (Senior) | NED | 4:00.49 | PB | +2.790 |
| 6 | Maki Tabata (Senior) | JPN | 4:03.63 | | +5.930 |
| 7 | Jennifer Rodriguez (Senior) | USA | 4:04.99 | NR | +7.290 |
| 8 | Kristina Groves (Senior) | CAN | 4:06.44 | SB | +8.740 |
| 9 | Emese Hunyady (M35) | AUT | 4:06.55 | NR | +8.850 |
| 10 | Clara Hughes (Senior) | CAN | 4:06.57 | SB | +8.870 |
| 11 | Gretha Smit (Senior) | NED | 4:07.41 | | +9.710 |
| 12 | Daniela Anschütz (Senior) | GER | 4:07.55 | SB | +9.850 |
| 13 | Catherine Raney (Neo) | USA | 4:07.59 | SB | +9.890 |
| 14 | Varvara Barysjeva (Senior) | RUS | 4:08.02 | SB | +10.320 |
| 15 | Tatjana Trapeznikova (Senior) | RUS | 4:08.49 | PB | +10.790 |
| 16 | Ljudmila Prokasjeva (Senior) | KAZ | 4:09.74 | SB | +12.040 |
| 17 | Valentina Jaksjina (Senior) | RUS | 4:11.48 | | +13.780 |
| 18 | Nami Nemoto (Senior) | JPN | 4:11.92 | | +14.220 |
| 19 | Eriko Seo (Neo) | JPN | 4:12.33 | | +14.630 |
| 20 | Yang Gao (Neo) | CHN | 4:12.39 | SB | +14.690 |
| 21 | Ann Driscoll (Neo) | USA | 4:15.61 | SB | +17.910 |
| 22 | Nicola Mayr (Senior) | ITA | 4:15.79 | SB | +18.090 |
| 23 | Xiaolei Zhang (A2) | CHN | 4:16.53 | TRJ, SB | +18.830 |
| 24 | Andreea Jakab (Neo) | ROU | 4:17.03 | NR | +19.330 |
| 25 | Eun-Bi Baek (Neo) | KOR | 4:18.15 | | +20.450 |
| 26 | Katarzyna Wójcicka (Neo) | POL | 4:19.10 | | +21.400 |
| 27 | Marina Pupina (Senior) | KAZ | 4:20.04 | PB | +22.340 |
| 28 | Anzjelika Gavrilova (Neo) | KAZ | 4:20.36 | SB | +22.660 |
| 29 | Daniela Oltean (Neo) | ROU | 4:21.73 | SB | +24.030 |
| 30 | Ilonda Lūse (Senior) | LAT | 4:23.13 | | +25.430 |
| 31 | Jelena Mjagkikh (Neo) | UKR | 4:24.64 | | +26.940 |
| 32 | Svetlana Tsjepelnikova (Neo) | BLR | 4:24.96 | | +27.260 |