Strange pursuit for an athlete, smuggling illicit liquor (3-7)

I believe the answer is:

rum-running

'smuggling illicit liquor' is the definition.

'strange pursuit for an athlete' is the wordplay.
'strange' becomes 'rum' (I've seen this before).
'pursuit for an athlete' becomes 'running'.
'rum'+'running'='RUM-RUNNING'

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.