| Final 17:50 | time | L | Q. | Athletes |
| 1. United States | 3:17.83 | 5 | 7. | Debbie Dunn ; Allyson Felix ; Lashinda Demus ; Sanya Richards |
| 2. Jamaica | 3:21.15 | 6 | 2. | Rosemarie Whyte ; Novlene Williams-Mills ; Shereefa Lloyd ; Shericka Williams |
| 3. Russia | 3:21.64 | 4 | 1. | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya ; Tatyana Firova ; Lyudmila Litvinova ; Antonina Krivoshapka |
| 4. Great Britain | 3:25.16 | 2 | 4. | Lee McConnell ; Christine Ohuruogu ; Vicki Barr ; Nicola Sanders |
| 5. Germany | 3:27.61 | 8 | 3. | Fabienne Kohlmann ; Sorina Nwachukwu ; Esther Cremer ; Claudia Hoffmann |
| 6. Nigeria | 3:28.55 | 3 | 8. | Endurance Abinuwa ; Muizat Ajoke Odumosu ; Josephine Ehigie ; Folasade Abugan |
| 7. France | 3:30.16 | 7 | 9. | Virginie Michanol ; Aurélie Kamga ; Symphora Béhi ; Solen Désert-Mariller |
| 8. Cuba | 3:36.99 | 1 | 5. | Diosmely Peña ; Daisurami Bonne ; Zulia Calatayud ; Indira Terrero |
| Heat 1. 20:15 | time | L | Rk. | Athletes |
| 1. United States | 3:29.31 | 3 | 7. | Debbie Dunn ; Natasha Hastings ; Jessica Beard ; Sanya Richards |
| 2. Nigeria | 3:29.60 | 5 | 8. | Endurance Abinuwa ; Muizat Ajoke Odumosu ; Josephine Ehigie ; Folasade Abugan |
| 3. France | 3:29.60 | 6 | 9. | Virginie Michanol ; Aurélie Kamga ; Symphora Béhi ; Solen Désert-Mariller |
| 4. Australia | 3:30.80 | 4 | 11. | Pirrenee Steinert ; Madeleine Pape ; Caitlin Willis-Pincott ; Tamsyn Lewis |
| 5. Italy | 3:31.05 | 1 | 12. | Marta Milani ; Daniela Reina ; Maria Enrica Spacca ; Libania Grenot |
| 6. Brazil | 3:31.42 | 7 | 13. | Geisa Aparecida Coutinho ; Emmilly Pinheiro ; Sheila Ferreira ; Jailma de Lima |
| 7. Mexico | 3:40.03 | 8 | 15. | Alejandra Cherizola ; Nallely Vela ; Ruth Grajeda ; Karla Dueñas |
| -. Bahamas | DQ | 2 | | Sasha Rolle ; Shakeitha Henfield ; Rashan Brown ; Katrina Seymour |
| Heat 2. 20:25 | time | L | Rk. | Athletes |
| 1. Russia | 3:23.80 | 3 | 1. | Natalya Nazarova ; Tatyana Firova ; Natalya Antyukh ; Lyudmila Litvinova |
| 2. Jamaica | 3:24.72 | 6 | 2. | Kaliese Spencer ; Shereefa Lloyd ; Rosemarie Whyte ; Novlene Williams-Mills |
| 3. Germany | 3:25.08 | 7 | 3. | Fabienne Kohlmann ; Sorina Nwachukwu ; Esther Cremer ; Claudia Hoffmann |
| 4. Great Britain | 3:25.23 | 1 | 4. | Nicola Sanders ; Vicki Barr ; Jennifer Meadows ; Lee McConnell |
| 5. Cuba | 3:27.36 | 4 | 5. | Susana A. Clement ; Daisurami Bonne ; Zulia Calatayud ; Indira Terrero |
| 6. Canada | 3:29.17 | 8 | 6. | Esther Akinsulie ; Adrienne Power ; Jenna Martin ; Carline Muir |
| 7. Ukraine | 3:30.76 | 5 | 10. | Yuliya Baraley ; Tetiana Petlyuk ; Anastasiya Rabchenyuk ; Antonina Yefremova |
| 8. Japan | 3:34.46 | 2 | 14. | Sayaka Aoki ; Asami Tanno ; Mayu Sato ; Satomi Kubokura |