A world first in China: a half-marathon run by humanoid robots

A world first in China: a half-marathon run by humanoid robots
A robot takes part in the humanoid robot half marathon in Beijing on April 19, 2025. Dozens of humanoid robots took to the streets of Beijing, joining thousands of their flesh-and-blood counterparts in a world-first half marathon showcasing China's drive to lead the global race in cutting-edge technology. Credit: AFP

On Saturday, dozens of humanoid robots participated in the world’s first half-marathon dedicated to them in Beijing, symbolising China’s ambitions in new technologies.

Held in the “E-Town” technological development zone of the Chinese capital, the event also saw participation from human athletes, providing an opportunity to test the limits of these bipedal machines.

To the sound of pop music from loudspeakers, the robots hesitantly took their first steps as the starting gun signalled the beginning of the 21-kilometre race.

Across the road, human participants, running on a separate track, captured the robots’ start on their mobile phones.

A small android, having fallen, eventually managed to get up alone after a few minutes, cheered on by the crowd. Another robot, designed to resemble a Transformer, veered off course, hitting a barrier and knocking over an engineer.

“Running on a track might seem a small step for a human, but for a humanoid robot, it’s a significant leap,” said Liang Liang, deputy director of the management committee of E-Town, referencing famous American astronaut Niel Armstrong. “This marathon is a step towards the industrialisation of humanoid robots,” he emphasised.

Around twenty teams from across China participated in the competition, with robots ranging in height from 75 to 180cm  and weighing up to 88kg.

Some robots ran autonomously, while others were remotely controlled. Engineers explained to AFP that the goal was to test the performance and reliability of the androids, noting that the priority was to finish the course rather than win the race.

“This half-marathon is a tremendous boost for the entire robotics sector,” said Cui Wenhao, a 28-year-old engineer from the Chinese company Noetix Robotics. "Honestly, the sector rarely has the opportunity to run its machines at full capacity over such a distance and duration. It’s a rigorous test for the batteries, motors, structure, and even the algorithms,” he highlighted.

As part of their training, one of the company’s robots covered the equivalent of a half-marathon daily at a pace of over 8 km/h, he explained. Another young engineer, Kong Yichang, 25 years old, from DroidUp, stated that this half-marathon helps “lay the foundation” for a greater presence of these robots in our lives. “The idea is that humanoid robots can truly integrate into human society and start accomplishing tasks humans do,” he added.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, aims to be a global leader in AI and robotics, positioning itself as a direct challenger to the United States in the ongoing trade war. Chinese companies, particularly private ones, are increasingly excelling in new technologies.

In January, the start-up DeepSeek made worldwide headlines with an AI-powered conversational robot, developed at a much lower cost than American competitors like ChatGPT.

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