Honor's Robot Sets New Record at Second World Half-Marathon for Androids

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The humanoid robot that recently claimed victory at the world’s second half-marathon for humanoid robots in Beijing managed by a Chinese smartphone manufacturer has surpassed human runners by approximately seven minutes. This robot, named Lightning, completed the 2026 Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, outpacing the previous human record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds set by Ugandan athlete Kiplimo Jacob this March.

Previously, a robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, also known as X-Humanoid, finished the inaugural half-marathon in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. In comparison, Lightning’s recent performance was more than twice as fast, demonstrating significant progress in robotics capabilities.

Lightning features a specially designed joint module developed independently, with its motor reaching a maximum torque of 400 Newton-meters. According to a test and development engineer from a Shenzhen-based team, the robot is equipped with a liquid cooling system that can transfer over four liters of heat per minute via a high-power liquid pump. This system effectively manages heat during strenuous activity, allowing the robot to adapt to complex terrain conditions through the integration of multiple sensors and advanced dynamic motion control algorithms.

The race course this year included a variety of challenging terrains, demanding high levels of motion stability, endurance, and heat management from the participating robots. This made the event a comprehensive test of their technological prowess. The engineer noted that pushing the speed boundaries of humanoid robots has practical value, as it enables teams to validate structural integrity and core functionalities like liquid cooling under real-world conditions. Such advancements are comparable to how competitive car racing fuels innovation in the automotive industry, by applying racing-based technology development to commercial vehicles.

Furthermore, there are plans to incorporate humanoid robots into retail stores to support sales and customer service efforts, aiming to improve retail operations. Over 300 robots representing more than 100 teams, including Honor, X-Humanoid, Unitree Robotics, and Noetix Robotics, participated in the 21-kilometer race yesterday. This number is approximately five times larger than last year’s event, with the race’s completion rate rising from about 30 percent to over 45 percent.