Former Comrades Marathon champion Claude Moshiywa has pleaded with the organisers to postpone the event as he feels it won't be ideal to go ahead with the race on June 14.

Following the cancellation of qualifying races due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the popular ultra marathon will go ahead on the set date.

The Comrades Marathon organisers had previously promised to put an end to the uncertainty by April 17. But Moshiywa, who won the marathon in 2013, said it would only be fair for runners if the race was postponed.

"I think they can postpone the marathon to help everyone. In terms of training, there is nothing we can do, if you don't have a spinning bike and a treadmill in your house the only way to prepare for the race is to do some exercises around your yard," Moshiywa said. .

"It is not easy [training in your yard. I have been trying... sometimes you get tempted to just go out of the house, but because President Cyril Ramaphosa has said we have to stay at home, you can't do that. It is quite awkward."

About possible postponement, which would require an Athletics SA (ASA) sanction, the Comrades Marathon Association board (CMA) is of the view that the race cannot be staged later than October 4 owing to climatic conditions, failing which the event will have to be cancelled.

CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn said they were not in a position to comment on anything at this stage.

But the 45-year-old Moshiywa added that it won't be fair for those who are still looking to qualify should the race go ahead as planned.

"The one good thing they can do is to postpone the marathon because most of the people lost their qualifying races in March and April and we only have the last one on May 1 [Wally Hayward Marathon] which has since been postponed. There is no way they can go ahead with the June 14 date," Moshiywa continued.

"I would prefer the end of September or October because then you will have other races where people can still qualify and continue with the training."

The challenge with staging the taxing 90km race in spring or summer could be high temperatures, hence some on social media yesterday openly called for the CMA to can the race. But with registrations costing R600 per person, it's unclear if CMA would refund entrants should the event be canned.