The 31-year-old from Albury is going for one of three spots on the Australian team but competition is fierce with at least 10 women capable of going under the required 2:29.30.

Pashley, now based in Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road, had given herself a great chance with a best time of 2:26.21.

But World Athletics have just suspended the qualification period for all Olympic events, meaning marathon runners now have until May 31, 2021, to make the team.

Any times set between now and November 30 won't count.

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"We were nearly at the end of it so it was a little bit frustrating to have been waiting for that end point for a such a long time and then, all of a sudden, it's open again," Pashley said.

"I understand why they did it. The more annoying thing is that they've stopped any races before December being part of it, so if races do go ahead, they don't count which gives less motivation to train for those races when you know they're not going to count towards selection.

"They're probably doing it thinking perhaps there won't be any big international races going ahead until December anyway so we'll see what happens."

Pashley was due to run the London Marathon on April 26 but the race has been rescheduled for October 4.

"Whether or not that happens, we're still not sure but the plan is at this stage that if that goes head, I'll still go and race that," Pashley said.

"It now doesn't count for the Olympics but I'll just do it just to do a race.

"Then it'll probably be trying to a marathon early next year.

"The World Cross Country Championships next year is in Bathurst, so I'll probably trial for that team if that all goes ahead and then everything will be geared towards trying to do whatever I can to make the Olympic team."

Pashley also has the option of running the 10,000m in Tokyo, having clocked a personal best 31.18 over that distance during the world championships in Doha last year.