Gemma Steel has had a magnificent career on the toughest terrains the winter months can bring, but now she aims for a medal in the half marathon at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam and to make her debut at the Olympic Games.
The half marathon suits Steel 's running style as she finished 2015 in second place on the European lists with 1:09:56 achieved in Glasgow.
“This is my ideal distance and one that I feel comfortable doing. I took alot of confidence from running quick last year so I could possibly target a medal in Amsterdam.
“it's an exciting opportunity and great that this new distance has been introduced to the programme of the championships,” said Steele.
The Briton will also be chasing a place in the Great Britain 10,000m team for Rio this summer, where the weather will be in total contrast to the settings that have brought her greatest success.
With four gold medals, one as individual champion and three as part of the triumphant team GB, two silvers and a bronze, Steel, 30, is one of the all-time leading athletes in the history of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Steel said: “I'd like to think that the 10,000m would be an attainable and realistic target for Rio.”
Ninth over the distance at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki 2012, Steel did not make the British team for the home Olympics a few weeks later in London.
But in Samokov 2014 she was crowned Eurocross champion having previously finished second (in Belgrade 2013) and third (in Velenje 2011).
Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Steel looked towards 2017 and said of the 10,000m this summer: 'It's more realistic than running a full marathon. I think we will see about the marathon next year in London.'
Steel has a 10,000m best of 32:34.81 from 2012 but has run 31:27 for 10km on the road. A repeat of that sort of time would put her among the top British women chasing a spot in Rio. Last summer, her cross-country rival Kate Avery was the leading Briton at the distance with 31:41.44.