Andrew Walker said he stretched and did a light workout before arriving on set, then spent filming days running through stairs, courtyards, restaurants and highways. He described that as his own preparation and experience—not a formal training plan shared by both actors. Walker also said Ashley Williams had run competitively and was a stronger runner than he was during production.
What Andrew Walker said about preparing for filming
In a 2024 interview with Rebecca Angel Baer for Southern Living, surfaced on Yahoo Entertainment, Walker described a short morning routine before set: stretching and a light workout. He said the routine helped him get his mind right, while the day’s filming itself became the larger workout.
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“I was coming to set and I would stretch before I would come to set. I would do a little light workout. I have to every single morning, it just kind of gets my mind right. But I was preparing for my workout throughout the day.”
That is Walker’s account of his own routine. The interview does not describe a shared workout schedule, a coach-designed program or a training calendar for either actor.
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Why he described the shoot as physically demanding
Walker characterized the movie’s action as unusually physical compared with many of his other roles. He said scenes involved substantial running and physical comedy, with the production moving through varied locations rather than keeping the action in one place.
“All we did was run. Every single day. Up stairs, through courtyards in the city. Running in and out of restaurants. Down highways. It was just constant running. Ashley, little do people know, is an incredible runner. She used to run competitively. I was always trying to catch up to Ashley. She’s hardcore.”
Rank #2
He also said filming repeated the action for multiple takes, sometimes “up to 10 times or so,” because not every part of a performance made it into the finished movie. Walker said the repeated work left the performers physically exhausted at the end of the day. His estimate is an approximate recollection, not a production-wide statistic, and he did not say that every scene or filming day followed the same pattern.
What Walker said about Ashley Williams
Walker credited Williams’s energy, comedic timing and talent as part of their on-set dynamic. His statement that she had run competitively—and his description of trying to keep up with her—comes from his interview; it is not independently documented athletic history in the available film materials.
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Who they play in Jingle Bell Run
Hallmark identifies Jingle Bell Run as a 2024 Countdown to Christmas original starring Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker. Its cast pages name Williams’s character as Avery and Walker’s as Wes. Hallmark’s official page currently links to Hallmark+ for streaming; viewing availability can change.
The interview does not specify mileage, running pace, equipment or a particular shoe brand. It offers an account of demanding filming, not enough information to reconstruct either actor’s fitness regimen or turn it into exercise advice.
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Sources
- Rebecca Angel Baer’s interview with Andrew Walker, originally published by Southern Living and surfaced on Yahoo Entertainment.
- Hallmark’s official Jingle Bell Run page.
- Hallmark’s official cast page for Jingle Bell Run.
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