diff --git a/.github/workflows/mac.yml b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
index ff1bedba1..50cfbd67b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mac.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf macos-clang-install.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run func tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 1
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-test-extended:
@@ -99,6 +99,6 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf macos-clang-install.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
index 17c30b34a..b168eb9a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
@@ -76,11 +76,11 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-gcc-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run func tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 1
       - name: Run func tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   gcc-test-extended:
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-gcc-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run func tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-build:
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-clang-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run func tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 1
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-test-extended:
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-clang-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-sanitizer-build:
@@ -288,14 +288,14 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-clang-sanitizer-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 2 --additional-mpi-args="--oversubscribe"
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 2 --additional-mpi-args="--oversubscribe"
         env:
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 2
           PPC_ASAN_RUN: 1
           ASAN_OPTIONS: abort_on_error=1
           UBSAN_OPTIONS: halt_on_error=1
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
           PPC_ASAN_RUN: 1
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p install
           tar -xzvf ubuntu-clang-sanitizer-install-${{ matrix.os }}.tar.gz -C install
       - name: Run tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
           PPC_ASAN_RUN: 1
@@ -361,12 +361,12 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           cmake --build build --parallel
       - name: Run tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes"
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes"
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 2
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 2
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
       - name: Generate gcovr Coverage Data
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index d64650a67..48e9f1f53 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ jobs:
         run: Expand-Archive -Path .\windows-msvc-install.zip -DestinationPath . -Force
         shell: pwsh
       - name: Run func tests (MPI)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_THREADS: 1
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   msvc-test-extended:
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         run: Expand-Archive -Path .\windows-msvc-install.zip -DestinationPath . -Force
         shell: pwsh
       - name: Run tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-build:
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ jobs:
         run: Expand-Archive -Path .\windows-clang-install.zip -DestinationPath . -Force
         shell: pwsh
       - name: Run tests (threads)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 1 2 3 4
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
   clang-test-extended:
@@ -156,6 +156,6 @@ jobs:
         run: Expand-Archive -Path .\windows-clang-install.zip -DestinationPath . -Force
         shell: pwsh
       - name: Run tests (threads extended)
-        run: python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
+        run: scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads" --counts 5 7 11 13
         env:
           PPC_NUM_PROC: 1
diff --git a/docs/user_guide/ci.rst b/docs/user_guide/ci.rst
index 1dae74d5d..e7b381da3 100644
--- a/docs/user_guide/ci.rst
+++ b/docs/user_guide/ci.rst
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ Example usage:
    export PPC_NUM_PROC=2
 
    # Multithreaded functional tests
-   python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads"
+   scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="threads"
 
    # MPI functional tests
-   python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes"
+   scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="processes"
 
    # Performance benchmarks
-   python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance"
+   scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance"
 
 Additional MPI arguments can be supplied with ``--additional-mpi-args`` when
 running in ``processes`` mode.
diff --git a/scripts/generate_perf_results.bat b/scripts/generate_perf_results.bat
index c05306f3b..a7d72690a 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_perf_results.bat
+++ b/scripts/generate_perf_results.bat
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 @echo off
 mkdir build\perf_stat_dir
-python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance" > build\perf_stat_dir\perf_log.txt
+scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance" > build\perf_stat_dir\perf_log.txt
 python scripts\create_perf_table.py --input build\perf_stat_dir\perf_log.txt --output build\perf_stat_dir
diff --git a/scripts/generate_perf_results.sh b/scripts/generate_perf_results.sh
index a16bf169c..da317f427 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_perf_results.sh
+++ b/scripts/generate_perf_results.sh
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 mkdir -p build/perf_stat_dir
-python3 scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance" | tee build/perf_stat_dir/perf_log.txt
+scripts/run_tests.py --running-type="performance" | tee build/perf_stat_dir/perf_log.txt
 python3 scripts/create_perf_table.py --input build/perf_stat_dir/perf_log.txt --output build/perf_stat_dir
diff --git a/scripts/run_tests.py b/scripts/run_tests.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 9d97795b3..f54a8a6cb
--- a/scripts/run_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/run_tests.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
 import os
 import shlex
 import subprocess