diff --git a/goth/runner/__init__.py b/goth/runner/__init__.py
index b10c4f43..d1160cf6 100644
--- a/goth/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/goth/runner/__init__.py
@@ -173,16 +173,29 @@ async def _start_nodes(self):
         node_names: Dict[str, str] = {}
         ports: Dict[str, dict] = {}
 
-        # Start the probes' containers and obtain their IP addresses
+        # Start all probes as asyncio tasks in parallel, cancel them on error
+        probe_tasks = [
+            asyncio.create_task(self._exit_stack.enter_async_context(run_probe(probe)))
+            for probe in self.probes
+        ]
+        try:
+            future_gather = asyncio.gather(*probe_tasks)
+            await future_gather
+        except Exception as e:
+            for task in probe_tasks:
+                task.cancel()
+            logger.error(f"Starting probes failed: {e!r}")
+            raise e
+
+        # Obtain the probes' IP addresses and port mappings
         for probe in self.probes:
-            ip_address = await self._exit_stack.enter_async_context(run_probe(probe))
-            node_names[ip_address] = probe.name
+            node_names[probe.ip_address] = probe.name
             container_ports = probe.container.ports
-            ports[ip_address] = container_ports
+            ports[probe.ip_address] = container_ports
             logger.debug(
-                "Probe for %s started on IP: %s with port mapping: %s",
+                "Probe for %s started. IP address: %s, port mapping: %s",
                 probe.name,
-                ip_address,
+                probe.ip_address,
                 container_ports,
             )
 
diff --git a/goth/runner/probe/__init__.py b/goth/runner/probe/__init__.py
index d768f2ae..7ca421bd 100644
--- a/goth/runner/probe/__init__.py
+++ b/goth/runner/probe/__init__.py
@@ -361,7 +361,10 @@ def create_probe(
 
 @contextlib.asynccontextmanager
 async def run_probe(probe: Probe) -> AsyncIterator[str]:
-    """Implement AsyncContextManager for starting and stopping a probe."""
+    """Implement AsyncContextManager for starting and stopping a probe.
+
+    Yields the probe's assigned IP address.
+    """
 
     try:
         logger.debug("Starting probe. name=%s", probe.name)
diff --git a/test/goth/runner/test_shutdown.py b/test/goth/runner/test_shutdown.py
index 5945ca29..6f878bcb 100644
--- a/test/goth/runner/test_shutdown.py
+++ b/test/goth/runner/test_shutdown.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ async def _coro(*args):
 )
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_runner_startup_shutdown(
+    caplog,
     mock_function,
     manager_start_fails,
     webserver_start_fails,
@@ -195,6 +196,8 @@ async def test_runner_startup_shutdown(
         or probe_init.failed
         or probe_start.failed
     )
+    if proxy_start.failed:
+        assert "Starting probes failed: MockError" in caplog.text
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("have_test_failure", [False, True])