The Runner Filming Locations

Amazon MGM Studios’ The Runner turns London into more than a backdrop. The British capital effectively becomes part of the thriller’s ticking clock as Maia Marten, played by Gal Gadot, races through the city after learning that her son has been abducted. A mysterious caller dictates her movements, forcing the high-powered lawyer to keep running while completing increasingly dangerous instructions.

That premise demanded a convincing sense of geography. Director Kevin Macdonald did not want Maia to appear in unrelated parts of London simply because they looked cinematic. Instead, the production built her journey around a route that could realistically be travelled on foot, taking Gadot from the greener neighborhoods of North London toward the Thames and the city’s dense commercial center.

Principal photography began on April 22, 2025, and continued through the early summer, with filming documented across London into July. Rather than relying heavily on a substitute city, The Runner made extensive use of the actual streets, paths, bridges and public spaces through which Maia is supposed to be running.

Also Read: Practical Magic 2 Filming Locations

London, England

London, England, served as the primary filming location for The Runner, matching the movie’s setting. Film London confirmed that the Amazon MGM production was shooting in the capital in spring 2025, while director Kevin Macdonald later explained that maintaining believable London geography was an important part of the production.

Macdonald designed Maia’s journey as a genuine route rather than a collection of disconnected landmarks. The character begins around Hampstead in North London and moves through Hampstead Heath before gradually heading south toward central London and the river. The route covers roughly five miles, or about eight kilometers.

That approach created practical complications for the production. A location that appeared only minutes later in the finished film might require the crew to move across London on a completely different shooting day. Macdonald has said the filmmakers had to secure permissions along virtually every section of Maia’s route because knowledgeable London viewers would immediately notice if places such as Camden and Covent Garden were suddenly presented as neighboring streets.

Hampstead Heath, Kentish Town and Camden

The northern portion of Maia’s journey was filmed around Hampstead and Hampstead Heath. The large heath, known for its wooded paths, open grassland and elevated views across London, provides a natural starting point before the movie moves into increasingly built-up surroundings.

Macdonald has said the route even passed close to his own home, giving him considerable familiarity with the geography Gadot was running through. Hampstead Heath also offered a useful contrast to the financial districts and crowded city streets that appear later in Maia’s race.

Filming continued south through the Camden area. Regent’s Canal was among the recognizable locations used by the production, while sections were also shot along St Pancras Way, the road following part of the canal corridor toward King’s Cross.

Gadot was additionally photographed filming running sequences around Kentish Town. Set photographs from April and May 2025 show her in Maia’s blue athletic top, black running tights and bright shoes moving through ordinary residential and urban streets rather than highly controlled studio environments.

Canary Wharf, Millennium Bridge and the City of London

The Runner’s route eventually reaches some of London’s most recognizable modern and historic districts. Canary Wharf was used for filming on May 9, 2025, with Gadot and Alfred Enoch photographed working among the area’s glass towers and corporate architecture.

The contrast suits Maia particularly well. She is introduced as a successful London lawyer, and Canary Wharf’s polished business environment feels connected to that professional world while also giving the chase a very different appearance from Hampstead and Camden.

One of the film’s clearest landmarks is Millennium Bridge. Maia runs across the pedestrian bridge spanning the River Thames between the Tate Modern side of the river and the area near St Paul’s Cathedral. Its open walkway allows the London skyline and Thames to remain visible around Gadot instead of reducing the scene to another anonymous chase sequence.

The production also worked deeper inside the City of London. Coleman Street and nearby King’s Arms Yard were used for scenes involving Maia and the police. Watling Street, the historic route running through the Square Mile toward St Paul’s, also appears among the confirmed filming locations.

Together, these locations allow the movie to move naturally between London’s modern financial architecture, narrow historic streets and familiar riverside landmarks.

Waterloo Bridge and HMS Belfast

Filming activity was also documented around Waterloo in May 2025. Gadot was present during production on Waterloo Bridge on May 18, placing another major Thames crossing on The Runner’s London route.

A few days earlier, filming had also taken place around HMS Belfast, the preserved Royal Navy warship moored on the Thames near Tower Bridge. The ship and surrounding riverside area give the movie another distinctly London setting without requiring the production to manufacture a generic urban waterfront.

Other reported filming areas include Covent Garden and additional central London streets and tunnels. Not every brief street section has been publicly identified, which is unsurprising for a movie built around almost continuous movement through the city.

The Runner Used Real London Crowds

One of the more unusual choices was filming portions of Gadot’s run without completely closing the surrounding streets. Macdonald has explained that the crew sometimes placed hidden cameras around live locations and sent Gadot running through ordinary crowds.

That meant some people visible around Maia were reacting naturally rather than performing as carefully positioned background actors. For a story about a desperate woman moving through a city where most people have no idea what is happening to her, those uncontrolled reactions helped maintain the movie’s grounded quality.

The method also made production considerably harder. Gadot trained for months with former Olympic athlete Malachi Davis to prepare for the amount of running required, but the repeated physical work eventually took its toll. She has revealed that she injured her feet during filming and finished part of the production on crutches. Some material had to be adapted with stunt work and tighter shots before she later returned after recovering.

That demanding production history explains why London’s geography matters so much to The Runner. Maia is not merely running in front of recognizable landmarks. The filmmakers wanted audiences to feel that she is physically crossing a real city, from Hampstead Heath and Camden through London’s financial heart and eventually toward the Thames.