China hosts world’s first half-marathon race between humans and robots
In a historic fusion of athletic tradition and cutting-edge technology, humanoid robots and human runners took to the same half marathon course in Beijing on Saturday – marking the world’s first event of its kind.
Covering 21.0975 kilometers through the capital’s Economic-Technological Development Area, the race redefined what it means to compete, innovate, and imagine the future of embodied intelligence.
Industry insiders highlighted the half marathon’s balance of challenge and accessibility as it tested endurance while welcoming diverse participants.
The event saw humanoid robots line up alongside human athletes, launching from the same starting line but along physically divided lanes to ensure safety. While human runners followed conventional rules, robots competed under tailored guidelines.
Each robot was supported by a team of human navigators, operators, and engineers. Robots launched sequentially at intervals exceeding one meter, confined to dedicated tracks where battery swaps mirror Formula 1’s pit stops. Awards were distributed not just for speed, but for categories like Best Endurance, Best Gait Design, and Most Innovative Form – celebrating both athletic performance and engineering ability.
Among 20 competing teams, Tiangong Ultra from the Tiangong Team claimed victory in the humanoid half marathon, crossing the finish line first with a time of two hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. Standing approximately 1.8 meters tall and weighing 55 kilograms, Tiangong Ultra increased its speed from 6 km/h to a peak of 12 km/h and enhanced its intelligence this year using the Huisi Kaiwu platform, a universal embodied intelligence system. During the race, Tiangong Ultra maintained a steady pace of 7-8 km/h.
More than a race, this event served as a symbolic launchpad for China’s burgeoning humanoid robotics industry.
Currently, driven by the rapid advancement of embodied intelligence technology, China’s humanoid robots are accelerating iterative evolution and gradually expanding their applications in production and daily life.
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