| 2023 | ||||
| (Budapest, Hungary, August 22) | ||||
| 1. | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 3:54.87 | ||
| 2. | Diribe Welteji (Ethiopia) | 3:55.69 | ||
| 3. | Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) | 3:56.00 | ||
| 4. | Ciara Mageean (Ireland) | 3:56.61 | ||
| 5. | Nelly Chepchirchir (Kenya) | 3:57.90 | ||
| 6. | Laura Muir (Great Britain) | 3:58.58 | ||
| 7. | Jessica Hull (Australia) | 3:59.54 | ||
| 8. | Katie Snowden (Great Britain) | 3:59.65 | ||
| 10. | Cory McGee (USA) | 4:01.60 | ||
| [Sinclair Johnson (USA) 11th in semi] | ||||
| [Nikki Hiltz (USA) 11th in semi] | ||||
| 2022 | ||||
| (Eugene, Oregon, July 18) | ||||
| 1. | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 3:52.96 | ||
| 2. | Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia) | 3:54.52 | ||
| 3. | Laura Muir (Great Britain) | 3:55.28 | ||
| 4. | Freweyni Hailu (Ethiopia) | 4:01.28 | ||
| 5. | Sofia Ennaoui (Poland) | 4:01.43 | ||
| 6. | Sinclaire Johnson (USA) | 4:01.63 | ||
| 7. | Jessica Hull (Australia) | 4:01.82 | ||
| 8. | Winnie Nanyondo (Uganda) | 4:01.98 | ||
| 10. | Cory McGee (USA) | 4:03.70 | ||
| [Elle St. Pierre (USA) 11th in semi] | ||||
| 2019 | ||||
| (Doha, Qatar, October 5) | ||||
| 1. | Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) | 3:51.95 | ||
| 2. | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 3:54.22 | ||
| 3. | Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia) | 3:54.38 | ||
| 4. | Shelby Houlihan (USA) | 3:54.99 | AR | |
| 5. | Laura Muir (Great Britain) | 3:55.76 | ||
| 6. | Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Canada) | 3:56.12 | ||
| 7. | Winny Chebet (Kenya) | 3:58.20 | ||
| 8. | Jenny Simpson (USA) | 3:58.42 | ||
| [12. | Nikki Hiltz (USA) | 4:06.68] | ||
| 2017 | ||||
| (London, August 7) | ||||
| 1 | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 4:02.59 | ||
| 2 | Jenny Simpson (US) | 4:02.76 | ||
| 3 | Caster Semenya (South Africa) | 4:02.90 | ||
| 4 | Laura Muir (Great Britain) | 4:02.97 | ||
| 5 | Sifan Hassan (Holland) | 4:03.34 | ||
| 6 | Laura Weightman (Great Britain) | 4:04.11 | ||
| 7 | Angelika Cichocka (Poland) | 4:04.16 | ||
| 8 | Rababe Arrafi (Morocco) | 4:04.35 | ||
| [Kate Grace (US) 11th in semi] | ||||
| [Sara Vaughn (US) 10th in semi] | ||||
| 2015 | ||||
| (Beijing, China, August 25) | ||||
| 1 | Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) | 4:08.09 | ||
| 2 | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 4:08.96 | ||
| 3 | Sifan Hassan (Holland) | 4:09.34 | ||
| 4 | Dawit Seyaum (Ethiopia) | 4:10.26 | ||
| 5 | Laura Muir (Great Britain) | 4:11.48 | ||
| 6 | Abeba Aregawi (Sweden) | 4:12.16 | ||
| 7 | Shannon Rowbury (US) | 4:12.39 | ||
| 8 | Angelika Cichocka (Poland) | 4:13.22 | ||
| [11 | Jenny Simpson (US) | 4:16.28] | ||
| [Kerri Gallagher (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Lauren Johnson (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| 2013 | ||||
| (Moscow, August 15) | ||||
| 1 | Abeba Aregawi (Sweden) | 4:02.67 | ||
| 2 | Jenny Simpson (US) | 4:02.99 | ||
| 3 | Hellen Obiri (Kenya) | 4:03.86 | ||
| 4 | Hannah England (Great Britain) | 4:04.98 | ||
| 5 | Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) | 4:05.08 | ||
| 6 | Yekaterina Sharmina (Russia) | 4:05.49 | ||
| 7 | Zoe Buckman (Australia) | 4:05.77 | ||
| 8 | Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) | 4:05.99 | ||
| [10 | Mary Cain (US) | 4:07.19] | ||
| [Sarah Brown (USA) 10th in semi] | ||||
| 2011 | ||||
| 1 | Jenny Simpson (US) | 4:05.40 | ||
| 2 | Hannah England (Great Britain) | 4:05.68 | ||
| 3 | Natalia Rodríguez (Spain) | 4:05.87 | ||
| 4 | Btissam Lakhouad (Morocco) | 4:06.18 | ||
| 5 | Kalkidan Gezahegne (Ethiopia) | 4:06.42 | ||
| 6 | Ingvill Måkestad Bovim (Norway) | 4:06.85 | ||
| 7 | Mimi Belete (Bahrain) | 4:07.60 | ||
| 8 | Tuğba Karakaya (Turkey) | 4:08.14 | ||
| [10 | Morgan Uceny (US) | 4:19.71 (tripped)] | ||
| [Shannon Rowbury (US) 12th in semi] | ||||
| 2009 | ||||
| 1 | Maryam Jamal (Bahrain) | 4:03.74 | ||
| 2 | Lisa Dobriskey (Great Britain) | 4:03.75 | ||
| 3 | Shannon Rowbury (US) | 4:04.18 | ||
| 4 | Nuria Fernández (Spain) | 4:04.91 | ||
| 5 | Christin Wurth-Thomas (US) | 4:05.21 | ||
| 6 | Anna Pierce (US) | 4:06.19 | ||
| 7 | Lidia Chojecka (Poland) | 4:07.17 | ||
| 8 | Kalkidan Gezahegne (Ethiopia) | 4:08.81 | ||
| dq[obstruction]–[1] Natalia Rodriguez (Spain) [4:03.36] | ||||
| retroactive EPO dq—[8] Natalya Yevdokimova (Russia) [4:07.71] | ||||
| 2007 | ||||
| 1 | Maryam Jamal (Bahrain) | 3:58.75 | ||
| 2 | Iryna Lishchynska (Ukraine) | 4:00.69 | ||
| 3 | Daniela Yordanova (Bulgaria) | 4:00.82 | ||
| 4 | Maryam Selsouli (Morocco) | 4:01.52 | ||
| 5 | Viola Kibiwott (Kenya) | 4:02.10 | ||
| 6 | Agnes Samaria (Namibia) | 4:07.61 | ||
| 7 | Natalya Pantelyeva (Russia) | 4:07.82 | ||
| 8 | Lidia Chojecka (Poland) | 4:08.64 | ||
| retroactive doping dq–[2] Yelena Soboleva (Russia) [3:58.99] | ||||
| retroactive doping dq–[7] Yuliya Fomenko (Russia) [4:02.46] | ||||
| [Treniere Moser (US) 9th in semi] | ||||
| [Erin Donohue (US) 9th in semi] | ||||
| [Christin Wurth-Thomas (US) 10th in heat] | ||||
| 2005 | ||||
| 1 | Tatyana Tomashova (Russia) | 4:00.35 | ||
| 2 | Olga Yegorova (Russia) | 4:01.46 | ||
| 3 | Bouchra Ghezielle (France) | 4:02.45 | ||
| 4 | Yelena Soboleva (Russia) | 4:02.48 | ||
| 5 | Maryam Jamal (Bahrain) | 4:02.49 | ||
| 6 | Natalia Rodríguez (Spain) | 4:03.06 | ||
| 7 | Anna Jakubczak (Poland) | 4:03.38 | ||
| 8 | Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) | 4:04.77 | ||
| dq[obstruction]–[2] Yuliya Chizhenko (Russia) [4:00.93] | ||||
| [Treniere Moser (US) 12th in heat—only U.S. entrant] | ||||
| 2003 | ||||
| 1 | Tatyana Tomashova (Russia) | 3:58.52 | ||
| 2 | Süreyya Ayhan (Turkey) | 3:59.04 | ||
| 3 | Hayley Tullett (Great Britain) | 3:39.95 | ||
| 4 | Yekaterina Rozenberg (Russia) | 4:00.59 | ||
| 5 | Jackline Maranga (Kenya) | 4:01.64 | ||
| 6 | Naomi Mugo (Kenya) | 4:02.33 | ||
| 7 | Daniela Yordanova (Bulgaria) | 4:02.34 | ||
| 8 | Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Russia) | 4:02.46 | ||
| [Regina Jacobs (US) retroactive doping dq in semi {6th}—only U.S. entrant | ||||
| 2001 | ||||
| 1 | Gabriela Szabo (Romania) | 4:00.57 | ||
| 2 | Violeta Szekely (Romania) | 4:01.70 | ||
| 3 | Natalya Gorelova (Russia) | 4:02.40 | ||
| 4 | Carla Sacramento (Portugal) | 4:03.96 | ||
| 5 | Lidia Chojecka (Poland) | 4:06.70 | ||
| 6 | Natalia Rodríguez (Spain) | 4:07.10 | ||
| 7 | Alesya Turova (Belarus) | 4:07.25 | ||
| 8 | Süreyya Ayhan (Turkey) | 4:08.17 | ||
| [Sarah Schwald (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Suzy Favor Hamilton (US) dnf in semi] | ||||
| [Regina Jacobs (US) dnf in heat] | ||||
| 1999 | ||||
| 1 | Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) | 3:59.53 | ||
| 2 | Regina Jacobs (US) | 4:00.35 | ||
| 3 | Kutre Dulecha (Ethiopia) | 4:00.96 | ||
| 4 | Violeta Szekely (Romania) | 4:00.98 | ||
| 5 | Carla Sacramento (Portugal) | 4:01.29 | ||
| 6 | Elena Buhaianu (Romania) | 4:04.27 | ||
| 7 | Anna Jakubczak (Poland) | 4:04.40 | ||
| 8 | Ana Menéndez (Spain) | 4:04.72 | ||
| [10. Marla Runyan (US) 4:06.45] | ||||
| [Stephanie Best (US) 13th in heat] | ||||
| 1997 | ||||
| 1 | Carla Sacramento (Portugal) | 4:04.24 | ||
| 2 | Regina Jacobs (US) | 4:04.63 | ||
| 3 | Anita Weyermann (Switzerland) | 4:04.70 | ||
| 4 | Maite Zúñiga (Spain) | 4:04.80 | ||
| 5 | Leah Pells (Canada) | 4:06.18 | ||
| 6 | Andrea Šuldesová (Czech Republic) | 4:06.33 | ||
| 7 | Olga Nelyubova (Russia) | 4:07.34 | ||
| 8 | Sonia O’Sullivan (Ireland) | 4:07.81 | ||
| [Suzy Favor Hamilton (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Sarah Thorsett (US) 9th in heat] | ||||
| 1995 | ||||
| 1 | Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria) | 4:02.42 | ||
| 2 | Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) | 4:03.04 | ||
| 3 | Carla Sacramento (Portugal) | 4:03.79 | ||
| 4 | Angela Chalmers (Canada) | 4:04.74 | ||
| 5 | Lyudmila Borisova (Russia) | 4:04.78 | ||
| 6 | Anna Brzezińska (Poland) | 4:05.65 | ||
| 7 | Ruth Wysocki (US) | 4:07.08 | ||
| 8 | Maite Zúñiga (Spain) | 4:07.27 | ||
| [Suzy Favor Hamilton (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Sarah Thorsett (US) 9th in semi] | ||||
| 1993 | ||||
| 1 | Dong Liu (China) | 4:00.50 | ||
| 2 | Sonia O’Sullivan (Ireland) | 4:03.48 | ||
| 3 | Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria) | 4:04.29 | ||
| 4 | Yi Lu (China) | 4:06.06 | ||
| 5 | Angela Chalmers (Canada) | 4:07.95 | ||
| 6 | Theresia Kiesl (Austria) | 4:08.04 | ||
| 7 | Anna Brzezińska (Poland) | 4:08.11 | ||
| 8 | Fabia Trabaldo (Italy) | 4:08.23 | ||
| [Alisa Hill (US) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Annette Peters (US) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Gina Procaccio (US) 10th in heat] | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 1 | Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria) | 4:02.21 | ||
| 2 | Tatyana Dorovskikh (Soviet Union) | 4:02.58 | ||
| 3 | Lyudmila Rogachova (Soviet Union) | 4:02.72 | ||
| 4 | Doina Melinte (Romania) | 4:03.19 | ||
| 5 | Ellen Kiessling (Germany) | 4:04.75 | ||
| 6 | Kirsty Wade (Great Britain) | 4:05.16 | ||
| 7 | Susan Sirma (Kenya) | 4:05.47 | ||
| 8 | Małgorzata Rydz (Poland) | 4:05.52 | ||
| [12 | PattiSue Plumer (US) 4:06.80] | |||
| [Darcy Arreola (US) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Suzy Favor Hamilton (US) 9th in heat] | ||||
| 1987 | ||||
| 1 | Tatyana Dorovskikh (Soviet Union) | 3:58.56 | WCR | |
| 2 | Hildegard Körner (East Germany) | 3:58.67 | ||
| 3 | Doina Melinte (Romania) | 3:59.27 | ||
| 4 | Cornelia Bürki (Switzerland) | 3:59.90 | ||
| 5 | Andrea Lange (East Germany) | 4:00.63 | ||
| 6 | Kirsty Wade (Great Britain) | 4:01.41 | ||
| 7 | Diana Richburg (USA) | 4:01.79 | ||
| 8 | Elly van Hulst (Holland) | 4:03.63 | ||
| [10 | Linda Sheskey (US) | 4:08.33] | ||
| retroactive doping dq–[3] Sandra Gasser (Switzerland) [3:59.06] | ||||
| [Regina Jacobs (US) 7th in heat] | ||||
| 1983 | ||||
| 1 | Mary Slaney (US) | 4:00.90 | ||
| 2 | Zamira Zaytseva (Soviet Union) | 4:01.19 | ||
| 3 | Yekaterina Podkopayeva (Soviet Union) | 4:02.25 | ||
| 4 | Ravilya Kotovich (Soviet Union) | 4:02.67 | ||
| 5 | Wendy Sly (Great Britain) | 4:04.14 | ||
| 6 | Doina Melinte (Romania) | 4:04.42 | ||
| 7 | Gabriella Dorio (Italy) | 4:04.73 | ||
| 8 | Brit McRoberts (Canada) | 4:05.73 | ||
| [Cindy Bremser (US) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [no third U.S. entrant] | ||||
| [Kotovich 4:10.71 WCR {heat}; Slaney 4:07.47 WCR {heat}] | ||||
