Comment: Why South Africa's Marathon Championships Are Losing Their Appeal

THERE is clearly something wrong when both your champions are not available to defend their national title and Athletics South Africa ASA are going to have to seriously reconsider the timing of their Marathon Championships.

To be held in Cape Town on Sunday, the ASA Marathon Championships are supposed to be the countrys ultimate 42.195km event with the nations best battling it out for honours.

This is a race that marathoners of all ages should strive to be a part of, qualifying as they do via their provincial championships.

But when both your male and female champions opt to skip the event, then you know you are missing something and youve got to reconsider, perhaps the timing of it.

It is the inconsistency in terms of when the ASA Marathon Championships happens that robs it of being the countrys ultimate marathon race.