Rabe started at seven world championships between 1978 and 1989 and won a total of four gold, three silver and two bronze medals. In addition, she managed to always come in the top ten in all races at World Championships and Nordic Championships in her career. Her greatest individual successes were the world championship medals bronze in 1981 in Thun and silver in 1987 in Gérardmer , France , when she only had to give way to her compatriot Arja Hannus . At Nordic Championships she won bronze medals in singles in 1980 and 1982.
She won her four gold medals at world championships with the successful Swedish women's relay teams of the 1980s. In 1981 Arja Hannus, Barbro Lönnkvist , Karin Rabe and Annichen Kringstad won the gold medal with almost a quarter of an hour ahead of Finland. In 1983 she won the gold medal in the relay with Marita Skogum , Kerstin Månsson and Annichen Kringstad as the starting runner. This time the lead over the second-placed Czechoslovakians was around seven minutes. In 1985 the quartet Karin Rabe and Christina Blomqvist won, Kerstin Månsson and Annichen Kringstad were only ten seconds ahead of the Norwegians and in 1987 the Swedes were beaten by the Norwegian team. Rabe won her fourth gold medal in 1989 at the home world championships in Sweden together with Arja Hannus, Kerstin Haglund and Marita Skogum.
Rabe won the Swedish championships in 1976, 1977 and 1982 on the long distance, 1979 and 1981 on the ultra long distance and 1979, 1984, 1986 and 1987 in night orienteering. She won the Swedish relay championship in 1974 and 1976 with Fjärås AIK and 1978 and 1979 with IK Jarl .
