Gal Gadot reveals nine-month training for new thriller

Israeli actress Gal Gadot has revealed that she underwent extensive physical training for her upcoming action thriller The Runners, admitting that running was never something she enjoyed or considered a natural part of her lifestyle.

The 41-year-old actress made the revelation while discussing the film at its premiere ahead of its scheduled release on September 2. Gadot explained that preparing for the role required her to develop a completely different relationship with running because she does not consider herself a trained runner or an athlete.

“I’m not Tom Cruise,” Gadot said while reflecting on the physical demands of the project. She explained that running had never been an important part of her life and that she previously disliked it intensely. Because the film required her character to spend much of the story running and moving from one location to another, she realized that simply acting out the sequences would not be enough.

Instead, Gadot committed herself to a structured training programme that lasted for nine months. During that period, she worked with an experienced Olympic-level trainer who helped her improve her running technique, stamina and physical preparation for the demanding role.

According to Gadot, the training did more than prepare her physically. It also changed the way she viewed running. The actress said her trainer eventually helped her develop a certain level of appreciation for an activity she had previously hated.

The intense preparation was particularly important because The Runners is built around constant movement, urgency and suspense. Gadot plays Maya Martin, a successful and well-known lawyer based in London whose life changes dramatically when she discovers that her son has been kidnapped.

The film begins with Maya learning that her child has been taken, immediately placing her in an extremely dangerous and emotionally stressful situation. Rather than simply investigating the disappearance herself, she is forced into a frightening game in which she must follow a series of instructions.

Maya is ordered to keep running and obey the directions she receives. She is also warned not to reveal what is happening to anyone. If she seeks help or tells someone about the situation, her son’s life could be placed in even greater danger.

This unusual premise turns Maya’s physical journey into a central part of the thriller. Her ability to keep moving, remain focused and follow the instructions becomes essential to her efforts to save her son.

For Gadot, the role appears to have presented a different kind of challenge compared with some of her previous action performances. Although she is widely known for physically demanding roles and has considerable experience with action sequences, she acknowledged that long-distance running was not something she was naturally comfortable with.

Her nine-month training period therefore became an important part of her preparation for Maya. The actress had to build the endurance necessary to perform repeated running sequences while maintaining the emotional intensity required by the story.

The physical demands also meant that Gadot needed to balance athletic preparation with the acting requirements of the character. Maya is not presented simply as an action hero. She is a mother desperately trying to protect her child while being pushed into an increasingly dangerous situation.

The combination of emotional pressure and physical exhaustion is expected to be a major element of the film. As Maya races against time and follows increasingly dangerous instructions, the story aims to keep audiences questioning whether she can save her son before it is too late.

Gadot’s comments about her preparation offer a glimpse into the amount of work that went into creating the film’s intense action sequences. Her decision to train for nine months also highlights how seriously she approached a role that demanded skills outside her usual comfort zone.

With The Runners scheduled to arrive in cinemas on September 2, audiences will soon see how Gadot’s extensive preparation translates onto the screen as Maya Martin, a mother forced into a desperate race against time.