diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1407e6cd2ef..b355801b218 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -1121,10 +1121,7 @@ jobs:
     name: ${{ matrix.check_name }}
     needs: [preflight]
     if: needs.preflight.outputs.run_checks_node_core_nondist == 'true'
-    # Keep core shards on GitHub-hosted runners. The Blacksmith pool is already
-    # occupied by build and extension shards; queueing these shards there hides
-    # actual test-speed improvements behind runner wait time.
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ${{ github.repository == 'openclaw/openclaw' && (matrix.runner || 'ubuntu-24.04') || 'ubuntu-24.04' }}
     timeout-minutes: 60
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
index cafb880253d..e943302141b 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ const SPLIT_NODE_SHARDS = new Map([
           "test/vitest/vitest.runtime-config.config.ts",
         ],
         requiresDist: false,
+        runner: "blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404",
       },
       {
         shardName: "core-runtime-media-ui",
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ const SPLIT_NODE_SHARDS = new Map([
         shardName: "agentic-control-plane",
         configs: ["test/vitest/vitest.gateway-server.config.ts"],
         requiresDist: false,
+        runner: "blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404",
       },
       {
         shardName: "agentic-commands",
@@ -248,6 +250,7 @@ export function createNodeTestShards() {
             shardName: splitShard.shardName,
             configs: splitConfigs,
             ...(splitShard.includePatterns ? { includePatterns: splitShard.includePatterns } : {}),
+            ...(splitShard.runner ? { runner: splitShard.runner } : {}),
             requiresDist: splitShard.requiresDist,
           },
         ];