Watching a Tom Cruise film without witnessing him in a full sprint is almost unthinkable.
Running has become synonymous with this superstar’s cinematic persona, and statistics reveal he has incorporated running scenes in 44 of his 52 films.
As the Wall Street Journal reported, some prominent running coaches have critically analyzed the Hollywood icon’s running technique.
Ned Trim, the lead coach at New York’s Mile High Run Club, told the publication, “He tends to become quite rigid when running. If you observe top-tier sprinters, their key is to maintain relaxation. The more relaxed your body is, the less you interfere with your muscles’ function.”
Ben Rosario, the executive director of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite team, observes that the ‘Top Gun’ actor’s hands stiffen excessively during running.
“We coach young runners to imagine holding a potato chip between their thumb and forefinger without breaking it. Your thumb should barely touch your forefinger,” he further explained.
Interestingly, the New York-born actor seems to have a peculiar rule in his movies: no one is to run alongside him.
His co-star in the 2017 film ‘The Mummy’, Annabelle Wallis, shed light on this odd rule, revealing that Cruise initially refused to include scenes where she runs alongside him.
“I managed to secure a running scene with him on screen, but initially, he was against it. He stated, ‘No one runs on-screen with me,’ to which I responded, ‘But I’m a proficient runner.’ Consequently, I adjusted my treadmill timing to ensure he would walk in and see me running. This led him to include numerous running scenes,” Wallis disclosed in a 2020 interview with THR.
