diff --git a/planetwars-matchrunner/src/lib.rs b/planetwars-matchrunner/src/lib.rs
index 2e4200c..7eff489 100644
--- a/planetwars-matchrunner/src/lib.rs
+++ b/planetwars-matchrunner/src/lib.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub struct MatchPlayer {
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
-pub trait BotSpec {
+pub trait BotSpec : Send + Sync{
     async fn run_bot(
         &self,
         player_id: u32,
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ pub async fn run_match(config: MatchConfig) {
         .enumerate()
         .map(|(player_id, player)| {
             let player_id = (player_id + 1) as u32;
-            player
-                .bot_spec
-                .run_bot(player_id, event_bus.clone())
-                .map(move |handle| (player_id, handle))
+            start_bot(player_id, event_bus.clone(), &player.bot_spec)
         })
         .collect::<FuturesOrdered<_>>()
         // await all results
@@ -101,3 +98,13 @@ pub async fn run_match(config: MatchConfig) {
     let match_state = pw_match::PwMatch::create(match_ctx, pw_config);
     match_state.run().await;
 }
+
+// writing this as a closure causes lifetime inference errors
+async fn start_bot(
+    player_id: u32,
+    event_bus: Arc<Mutex<EventBus>>,
+    bot_spec: &Box<dyn BotSpec>,
+) -> (u32, Box<dyn PlayerHandle>) {
+    let player_handle = bot_spec.run_bot(player_id, event_bus).await;
+    (player_id, player_handle)
+}
diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs b/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
index fed0f7b..94a5f45 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use axum::{
     Json,
 };
 use hyper::StatusCode;
-use planetwars_matchrunner::{run_match, MatchConfig, MatchPlayer};
+use planetwars_matchrunner::{docker_runner::DockerBotSpec, run_match, MatchConfig, MatchPlayer};
 use rand::{distributions::Alphanumeric, Rng};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -53,10 +53,13 @@ pub async fn play_match(
 
         players.push(MatchPlayer {
             name: bot.name.clone(),
-            path: PathBuf::from(BOTS_DIR).join(code_bundle.path),
-            argv: shlex::split(&bot_config.run_command)
-                // TODO: this is an user error, should ideally be handled before we get here
-                .ok_or_else(|| StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)?,
+            bot_spec: Box::new(DockerBotSpec {
+                code_path: PathBuf::from(BOTS_DIR).join(code_bundle.path),
+                image: "python:3.10-slim-buster".to_string(),
+                argv: shlex::split(&bot_config.run_command)
+                    // TODO: this is an user error, should ideally be handled before we get here
+                    .ok_or_else(|| StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)?,
+            }),
         });
 
         bot_ids.push(matches::MatchPlayerData { bot_id: bot.id });
@@ -66,7 +69,7 @@ pub async fn play_match(
         map_name: "hex".to_string(),
         map_path,
         log_path: PathBuf::from(MATCHES_DIR).join(&log_file_name),
-        players: players,
+        players,
     };
 
     tokio::spawn(run_match_task(