| Event: | Women's 3000 metres |
| Competition: | European Athletics Championships |
The women's 3000 metres at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 29 August 1978.
| Gold | Svetlana Ulmasova | |
| Silver | Natalia Mărăşescu | |
| Bronze | Grete Waitz |
29 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | align=left | 8:33.16 | CR | ||||
| align=left | align=left | | 8:33.53 | ||||
| align=left | align=left | | 8:34.33 | ||||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 8:40.94 | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 8:45.74 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 8:46.13 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 8:48.73 | ||||
| 8 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:48.74 | |||
| 9 | align=left | align=left | | 8:53.08 | |||
| 10 | align=left | align=left | | 9:02.87 | |||
| 11 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:05.14 | |||
| 12 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:05.21 | |||
| 13 | align=left | align=left | | 9:08.9 | |||
| 14 | align=left | align=left | 9:10.9 | ||||
| 15 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:11.9 | |||
| 16 | align=left | align=left | 9:12.0 | ||||
| 17 | align=left | align=left | 9:12.9 | ||||
| 18 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:13.9 | |||
| 19 | align=left | align=left | | 9:21.9 | |||
| 20 | align=left | align=left | | 9:24.0 | |||
| 21 | align=left | align=left | 9:25.5 | ||||
| 22 | align=left | align=left | 9:31.0 | ||||
| 23 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:34.0 | |||
| 24 | align=left | align=left | 9:36.1 | ||||
| 25 | align=left | align=left | 9:40.6 | ||||
| align=left | align=left | DNF |
According to an unofficial count, 26 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.
(2) (1) (1) (2) (2) (2) (1) (3)