To be able to solve the total number of possibilities, we must first analyze this problem step by step.
- So there are 5 women running in the race.
- We are only to find the number of possibilities for taking the first, second and third place.
- Initially there are a total of 5 women, therefore 5 women can take the first place (5)
- Since one of the women is already in the first place, therefore the 4 remaining women can take the second place (4)
- Lastly, the 3 remaining women can take the third place (3)
Next, we multiply the numbers 5, 4, and 3 to get the answer:
Total possibilities = 5 * 4 * 3
Total possibilities = 60 (ANSWER)