More than 20 robots competed against thousands of human runners in a half-marathon in Beijing, aimed at highlighting China’s progress in humanoid technology.
On Saturday morning, a diverse array of humanoid robots hit the streets of Beijing, joining thousands of their human counterparts in a historic half-marathon designed to showcase China’s ambition to lead globally in advanced technology.
The 13-mile (21-kilometer) event took place in E-Town, a state-supported area for high-tech manufacturing in the Chinese capital, and was dubbed a pioneering effort to test the capabilities of bipedal robots in real-world situations.
As the starter’s gun fired and the upbeat Chinese pop song “I Believe” played on repeat, the robots lined up and cautiously took their first steps.
Curious human runners stood ready on the sidelines, eagerly capturing the moment with their mobile phones as the machines prepared to race.
One smaller robot stumbled and lay on the ground for several minutes before miraculously getting back on its feet, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Another robot, designed to resemble a Transformer and equipped with propellers, veered off course at the starting line, crashing into a barrier and knocking over one of the engineers.
“Stepping onto the race track might appear trivial for humans, but it marks a significant milestone for humanoid robots,” said Liang Liang, deputy director of the Beijing E-Town management committee, prior to the event. Nearby, engineers ran alongside their creations.
“This marathon is a step forward in bringing humanoid robots closer to industrialization.”
Approximately 20 teams from around the country participated in the competition, featuring robots ranging from 2.46 to 5.9 feet (75 to 180 centimeters) tall and weighing up to 194 pounds (88 kilograms).
Some robots operated autonomously, while others were guided by engineers, all while machines and humans raced on separate paths.
Engineers explained that the main purpose of the event was to assess the performance and reliability of the robots, stressing that completing the race—rather than winning it—was the primary goal.
“I view this as a significant boost for the entire robotics sector,” said Cui Wenhao, a 28-year-old engineer at Noetix Robotics, regarding the half-marathon.
“Honestly, there are few opportunities for the entire industry to test its capabilities over such a long distance. It’s a critical evaluation for the batteries, motors, structure, and even the algorithms.”
Cui mentioned that a humanoid robot had been training for the event by running a half-marathon daily at a pace of seven minutes per kilometer, and he anticipated no issues in its performance.
“However, just in case, we have a backup robot on standby,” he added.
Kong Yichang, a 25-year-old engineer from DroidUp, expressed that the race would lay the groundwork for numerous future humanoid robot initiatives.
“The importance of this race lies in the fact that humanoid robots can genuinely integrate into human society and start carrying out tasks alongside humans.”
As the world’s second-largest economy, China is striving to assert its superiority in artificial intelligence and robotics, positioning itself as a direct competitor to the United States.
In January, the Chinese startup DeepSeek garnered attention with a chatbot that they claimed was developed more efficiently than its American equivalents.
Dancing humanoid robots also captivated viewers during a televised Chinese New Year celebration.
