diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 83f7ab9c..f40d72fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,34 @@ on:
 
   workflow_dispatch:
 
-jobs:  
+jobs:
+  start-runner:
+    name: Start self-hosted EC2 runner
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      label: ${{ steps.start-ec2-runner.outputs.label }}
+      ec2-instance-id: ${{ steps.start-ec2-runner.outputs.ec2-instance-id }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Configure AWS credentials
+        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v1
+        with:
+          aws-access-key-id: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
+          aws-secret-access-key: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
+          aws-region: us-west-2
+      - name: Start EC2 runner
+        id: start-ec2-runner
+        uses: machulav/ec2-github-runner@v2
+        with:
+          mode: start
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.GH_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+          ec2-image-id: ami-079a0c9425d45e778
+          ec2-instance-type: t3.xlarge
+          subnet-id: subnet-0c4a81ef57cf2ebe3
+          security-group-id: sg-01cb8c0cb0de3ba00
+  
   docker-pipeline:
-    runs-on: self-hosted
+    needs: start-runner # required to start the main job when the runner is ready
+    runs-on: ${{ needs.start-runner.outputs.label }}
     if: >
       !contains(github.event.head_commit.message , 'skip ci') &&
       !contains(github.event.pull_request.title, 'skip ci')
@@ -45,16 +70,26 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           docker image prune -a -f
           docker container prune -f
+          sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/android
+          sudo rm -rf /usr/share/dotnet
+          sudo rm -rf /opt/ghc
+          sudo rm -rf "/usr/local/share/boost"
+          sudo rm -rf "$AGENT_TOOLSDIRECTORY"
 
       - name: Check Free Space 1
         run: |
           echo "Free space:"
           df -h
 
+      - name: Set up Python 3.8
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.8
+
       - name: Install pip dependencies
         run: |
-          python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
-          python3 -m pip install -r scripts/requirements.txt
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          pip install -r scripts/requirements.txt
       
       - name: Install selenium dependecies for r studio
         run: |
@@ -64,7 +99,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install pydoit fixed
         run: |
           git clone https://github.com/davidzyx/doit
-          python3 -m pip install ./doit
+          pip install ./doit
           rm -rf ./doit
           mkdir -p logs manifests
           touch logs/run.log
@@ -104,7 +139,7 @@ jobs:
           GRPC_CERT: ${{ secrets.GRPC_CERT }}
           PREPUSH_IMAGES: '["ghcr.io/ucsd-ets/scipy-ml-notebook"]'
         run: |
-          sudo python3 scripts/main.py
+          python3 scripts/main.py
 
       - name: Check Free Space 3
         run: |
@@ -133,3 +168,24 @@ jobs:
             artifacts
             logs
             manifests
+  stop-runner:
+    name: Stop self-hosted EC2 runner
+    needs:
+      - start-runner # required to get output from the start-runner job
+      - docker-pipeline # required to wait when the main job is done
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ always() }} # required to stop the runner even if the error happened in the previous jobs
+    steps:
+      - name: Configure AWS credentials
+        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v1
+        with:
+          aws-access-key-id: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
+          aws-secret-access-key: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
+          aws-region: us-west-2
+      - name: Stop EC2 runner
+        uses: machulav/ec2-github-runner@v2
+        with:
+          mode: stop
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.GH_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+          label: ${{ needs.start-runner.outputs.label }}
+          ec2-instance-id: ${{ needs.start-runner.outputs.ec2-instance-id }}