diff --git a/cmd/create/create.go b/cmd/create/create.go
index 6111a60a..f5b0d190 100644
--- a/cmd/create/create.go
+++ b/cmd/create/create.go
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ func NewCmdCreate() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewCmdCreateNode())
 
 	// add flags
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("runtime", "r", "docker", "Choose a container runtime environment [docker, containerd]")
 
 	// done
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cmd/create/createCluster.go b/cmd/create/createCluster.go
index 46812fc3..00a856f5 100644
--- a/cmd/create/createCluster.go
+++ b/cmd/create/createCluster.go
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ package create
 import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
-	"github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/cluster"
-	"github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
+	k3dCluster "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/cluster"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes"
+	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -39,17 +40,13 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster() *cobra.Command {
 		Short: "Create a new k3s cluster in docker",
 		Long:  `Create a new k3s cluster with containerized nodes (k3s in docker).`,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			c := types.Cluster{} // TODO: fill
-			rt, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("runtime")
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Debugln("runtime not defined")
-			}
-			cluster.CreateCluster(&c, rt)
+			runtime, cluster := parseCmd(cmd, args)
+			k3dCluster.CreateCluster(cluster, runtime)
 		},
 	}
 
 	// add flags
-	cmd.Flags().StringP("name", "n", types.DefaultClusterName, "Set a name for the cluster")
+	cmd.Flags().StringP("name", "n", k3d.DefaultClusterName, "Set a name for the cluster")
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("api-port", "a", "6443", "Specify the Kubernetes cluster API server port (Format: `--api-port [host:]port`")
 	cmd.Flags().IntP("workers", "w", 0, "Specify how many workers you want to create")
 
@@ -60,3 +57,16 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster() *cobra.Command {
 }
 
 // parseCmd parses the command input into variables required to create a cluster
+func parseCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (runtimes.Runtime, *k3d.Cluster) {
+	rt, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("runtime")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalln("Runtime not defined")
+	}
+	runtime, err := runtimes.GetRuntime(rt)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalln(err)
+	}
+	cluster := k3d.Cluster{}
+
+	return runtime, &cluster
+}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 1641d473..add9c79e 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -34,8 +34,15 @@ import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+// RootFlags describes a struct that holds flags that can be set on root level of the command
+type RootFlags struct {
+	debugLogging bool
+	runtime      string
+}
+
+var flags = RootFlags{}
+
 // var cfgFile string
-var debugLogging bool
 
 // rootCmd represents the base command when called without any subcommands
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -64,7 +71,8 @@ func init() {
 	// will be global for your application.
 
 	// rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&cfgFile, "config", "", "config file (default is $HOME/.k3d.yaml)")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&debugLogging, "verbose", false, "Enable verbose output (debug logging)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&flags.debugLogging, "verbose", false, "Enable verbose output (debug logging)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags.runtime, "runtime", "r", "docker", "Choose a container runtime environment [docker, containerd]")
 
 	// Cobra also supports local flags, which will only run
 	// when this action is called directly.
@@ -106,7 +114,7 @@ func initConfig() {
 
 // initLogging initializes the logger
 func initLogging() {
-	if debugLogging {
+	if flags.debugLogging {
 		log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
 	} else {
 		switch logLevel := strings.ToUpper(os.Getenv("LOG_LEVEL")); logLevel {
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index cb544baf..8eefc06b 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	k3drt "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes"
-	k3dContainerd "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes/containerd"
-	k3dDocker "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes/docker"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -32,17 +30,11 @@ import (
 // CreateCluster creates a new cluster consisting of
 // - some containerized k3s nodes
 // - a docker network
-func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtimeChoice string) error {
-	var runtime k3drt.Runtime
-	if runtimeChoice == "docker" {
-		runtime = k3dDocker.Docker{}
-	} else {
-		runtime = k3dContainerd.Containerd{}
-	}
+func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtime k3drt.Runtime) error {
 
-	if err := runtime.CreateContainer(&k3d.Node{}); err != nil {
-		log.Println("...failed")
+	if err := runtime.CreateNode(&k3d.Node{}); err != nil {
+		log.Debugln("...failed")
 	}
-	log.Println("...success")
+	log.Debugln("...success")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/node.go b/pkg/cluster/node.go
index fb4856a5..0cea2a8a 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/node.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/node.go
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ func CreateNode(nodeSpec *k3d.Node, runtimeChoice string) error {
 		runtime = k3dContainerd.Containerd{}
 	}
 
-	if err := runtime.CreateContainer(&k3d.Node{}); err != nil {
+	if err := runtime.CreateNode(&k3d.Node{}); err != nil {
 		log.Error(err)
 	}
-	log.Println("...success")
+	log.Debugln("...success")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/containerd/container.go b/pkg/runtimes/containerd/container.go
index 7ca020a9..5aace9c7 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/containerd/container.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/containerd/container.go
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 package containerd
 
 import (
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-func (d Containerd) CreateContainer(nodeSpec *k3d.Node) error {
-	log.Println("containerd.CreateContainer...")
+// CreateNode creates a new k3d node
+func (d Containerd) CreateNode(nodeSpec *k3d.Node) error {
+	log.Debugln("containerd.CreateContainer...")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
index fd2a7e83..70145207 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-// CreateContainer creates a new container
-func (d Docker) CreateContainer(nodeSpec *k3d.Node) error {
-	log.Println("docker.CreateContainer...")
-	ctx := context.Background()
+// CreateNode creates a new container
+func (d Docker) CreateNode(nodeSpec *k3d.Node) error {
+	log.Debugln("docker.CreateNode...")
+	ctx := context.Background() // TODO: check how kind handles contexts
 	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create docker client. %+v", err)
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ func (d Docker) CreateContainer(nodeSpec *k3d.Node) error {
 
 	resp, err := docker.ContainerCreate(ctx, &containerConfig, &container.HostConfig{}, &network.NetworkingConfig{}, "test")
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Error("couldn't create container")
+		log.Error("Couldn't create container")
 		return err
 	}
-	log.Println(resp.ID)
+	log.Infoln("Created", resp.ID)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
index b7648247..8d47b5cd 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
@@ -22,15 +22,33 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 package runtimes
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes/containerd"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes/docker"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
 )
 
+// Runtimes defines a map of implemented k3d runtimes
+var Runtimes = map[string]Runtime{
+	"docker":     docker.Docker{},
+	"containerd": containerd.Containerd{},
+}
+
 // Runtime defines an interface that can be implemented for various container runtime environments (docker, containerd, etc.)
 type Runtime interface {
-	CreateContainer(*k3d.Node) error
+	CreateNode(*k3d.Node) error
 	// StartContainer() error
 	// ExecContainer() error
 	// StopContainer() error
 	// DeleteContainer() error
 	// GetContainerLogs() error
 }
+
+// GetRuntime checks, if a given name is represented by an implemented k3d runtime and returns it
+func GetRuntime(rt string) (Runtime, error) {
+	if runtime, ok := Runtimes[rt]; ok {
+		return runtime, nil
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Runtime '%s' not supported", rt)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/types/types.go b/pkg/types/types.go
index 28b458b5..bb787fcb 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types.go
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ const DefaultK3sImageRepo = "docker.io/rancher/k3s"
 // DefaultObjectNamePrefix defines the name prefix for every object created by k3d
 const DefaultObjectNamePrefix = "k3d-"
 
-// Runtimes defines a list of available container runtimes that we can talk to to handle resources
-var Runtimes = []string{"docker"}
-
 // DefaultObjectLabels specifies a set of labels that will be attached to k3d objects by default
 var DefaultObjectLabels = map[string]string{
 	"app": "k3d",