| 1 | Elvan Abeylegesse | TUR | 15:06,26 | Q |
| 2 | Vivian Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:06,54 | Q |
| 3 | Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet | KEN | 15:06,54 | Q |
| 4 | Gelete Burika | ETH | 15:07,21 | Q |
| 5 | Shalane Flanagan | USA | 15:07,47 | Q |
| 6 | Volha Krautsova | BLR | 15:17,64 | q |
| 7 | Kayoko Fukushi | JPN | 15:19,67 | q |
| 8 | Simret Sultan | ERI | 15:25,29 | |
| 9 | Michelle Sikes | USA | 15:54,06 | |
| 10 | Nora Leticia Rocha | MEX | 16:34,74 | |
| 11 | Lucia Chandamale | MAW | 16:35,75 | |
| 12 | Francine Niyonizigiye | BDI | 17:25,22 | |
| Tirunesh Dibaba | ETH | DNS | ||
| Yekaterina Volkova | RUS | DNS |
| 1 | Meseret Defar | ETH | 15:10,13 | Q | |
| 2 | Meselech Melkamu | ETH | 15:10,32 | Q | |
| 3 | Priscah Jepleting Cherono | KEN | 15:11,22 | Q | |
| 4 | Joanne Pavey | GBR | 15:11,83 | Q | |
| 5 | Jennifer Rhines | USA | 15:14,30 | Q | |
| 6 | Silvia Weissteiner | ITA | 15:15,74 | q | |
| 7 | Mariya Konovalova | RUS | 15:16,49 | q | |
| 8 | Jessica Augusto | POR | 15:21,23 | q | |
| 9 | Kayo Sugihara | JPN | 15:31,44 | ||
| 10 | Zakia Mrisho Mohamed | TAN | 15:33,81 | ||
| 11 | Mary Teresa Cullen | IRL | 15:40,53 | ||
| 12 | Angeline Nyiransabimana | RWA | 15:53,23 | NR | |
| 13 | Gabriela Traña | CRC | 17:45,56 | ||
| Mariem Alaoui Selsouli | MAR | DNF |