Harrow Athletic Club's Mara Yamauchi announced this week she is considering swapping her running shoes in for skis - but not before a hopeful London Olympic swan song, according to club president Tony Bush.

He told the Observer that the club are still expecting great things from the Japan-based marathon runner, who overshadowed Paula Radcliffe in Beijing this summer to finish a record-equalling sixth place.

And despite contemplating a switch to cross-country skiing in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, Yamauchi's club has high hopes for the 35-year-old's remaining years on the track.

"Mara has had a fantastic year so far and if she does decide to switch sports she will obviously have all of our best wishes," said Bush.

"But we're delighted she is going to carry on until 2012 and it would be great to see her improve on her fantastic performance at the Games this year.

"She has already said she will compete in the London Marathon next year and it will be great to see her and Paula up against each other."

Yamauchi had long been a member at Parkside AC (also in Harrow) when the ladies club merged with Harrow AC in 2001, and she is not the only famous face at the club to try their hand at another sport.

Mr Bush added: "Just recently we have seen successful steeplechaser Adam Bowden take up the triathlon and he's not the first at the club to make a switch.

"I think with Mara there will of course be no problem adapting to a new sport from a physical point of view, but like others before it is the technical change that proves difficult."

However, Yamauchi has pointed to other successful sports stars who have swapped sports and denies her age could pose a problem.

"Rebecca Romero switched (from rowing to cycling) and age is not so much of a barrier," Yamauchi told a national newspaper. "I've thought about taking it up for a number of reasons. Cross-country skiing is an endurance sport, Britain does not have such a strong tradition in the Winter Olympics and UK Sport are putting a lot of effort into athletes switching sports.

"But I don't want to sound like I can easily qualify and I'm not under-estimating how hard it can be."

* There was a double hat-trick for Adam Bowden as the British steeplechase champion led Harrow Athletic Club to victory for the third consecutive week, writes Tony Bush.

The 26-year-old had previously won the Wolverton Five miles road race and the Chiltern League at Slough and again he guided Harrow to a dominant win in this important championship, finishing 68 points ahead of local rivals Shaftesbury Barnet.

He shook off the effects of pouring rain, an extremely muddy course and two heavy falls to take his second individual victory in this event, having triumphed previously in 2004.

Ben Warren ran well for fourth spot, just ahead of Damian Nevins and Matt Carey, both of whom are in their best cross-countryform. Alan Wray produced his best result of the winter to finish 12th while Peter Norris (14th) is returning to good shape after illness.

Stephen Byrne finished third in the U15 event and was well supported by Andrew Holliman (5th) and Janakan Rajkumar (6th). Injuries and absences meant that Harrow had no fourth runner and missed out on the chance of another set of gold medals.

Adam Gribben was Harrow's sole runner in the U17 race, taking 23rd spot. Marathon runner Mara Yamauchi. Picture by Stuart Emmerson.