diff --git a/crates/tower-cmd/src/apps.rs b/crates/tower-cmd/src/apps.rs
index 31652eea..44e54143 100644
--- a/crates/tower-cmd/src/apps.rs
+++ b/crates/tower-cmd/src/apps.rs
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ const FOLLOW_BACKOFF_MAX: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
 const LOG_DRAIN_DURATION: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
 const RUN_START_POLL_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_millis(500);
 const RUN_START_MESSAGE_DELAY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3);
+const RUN_START_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
 
 async fn follow_logs(config: Config, name: String, seq: i64) {
     let enable_ctrl_c = !output::get_output_mode().is_mcp();
@@ -265,6 +266,12 @@ async fn follow_logs(config: Config, name: String, seq: i64) {
             let mut notified = false;
             loop {
                 sleep(RUN_START_POLL_INTERVAL).await;
+
+                if wait_started.elapsed() > RUN_START_TIMEOUT {
+                    output::error("Timed out waiting for run to start. The runner may be unavailable.");
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 // Avoid blank output on slow starts while keeping fast starts quiet.
                 if should_notify_run_wait(notified, wait_started.elapsed()) {
                     output::write("Waiting for run to start...\n");
diff --git a/crates/tower-cmd/src/error.rs b/crates/tower-cmd/src/error.rs
index 777deec5..6fbfc8e1 100644
--- a/crates/tower-cmd/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/tower-cmd/src/error.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ pub enum Error {
     #[snafu(display("Run was cancelled"))]
     RunCancelled,
 
+    #[snafu(display("Timed out waiting for run to start. The runner may be unavailable."))]
+    RunStartTimeout,
+
     #[snafu(display("App crashed during local execution"))]
     AppCrashed,
 
diff --git a/crates/tower-cmd/src/run.rs b/crates/tower-cmd/src/run.rs
index bec58f5a..c4c37d74 100644
--- a/crates/tower-cmd/src/run.rs
+++ b/crates/tower-cmd/src/run.rs
@@ -724,21 +724,24 @@ fn create_pyiceberg_catalog_property_name(catalog_name: &str, property_name: &st
     format!("PYICEBERG_CATALOG__{}__{}", catalog_name, property_name)
 }
 
+const RUN_START_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
+
 /// wait_for_run_start waits for the run to enter a "running" state. It polls the API every 500ms to see
 /// if it's started yet.
 async fn wait_for_run_start(config: &Config, run: &Run) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    loop {
-        let res = api::describe_run(config, &run.app_name, run.number).await?;
+    timeout(RUN_START_TIMEOUT, async {
+        loop {
+            let res = api::describe_run(config, &run.app_name, run.number).await?;
+
+            if is_run_started(&res.run)? {
+                return Ok(());
+            }
 
-        if is_run_started(&res.run)? {
-            break;
-        } else {
-            // Wait half a second to to try again.
             sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
         }
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    })
+    .await
+    .map_err(|_| Error::RunStartTimeout)?
 }
 
 /// wait_for_run_completion waits for the run to enter an terminal state. It polls the API every