Humanoid robots outpace human runners in Beijing half-marathon

A unique race held in China featured more than 300 humanoid robots competing in a half marathon. One of the robots completed the 21.1 km distance in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human world record set by Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon last month by seven minutes.

As a result, the robot has officially surpassed elite human athletic performance, showcasing the capabilities of modern technology, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Nearly half of the robotic participants navigated more complex terrain autonomously, rather than being controlled via remote systems. The robots raced alongside 12,000 human male and female runners on parallel routes designed to prevent collisions.

Earlier reports indicated that during preparations for the event, an incident occurred in which one android failed to detect an obstacle, tripped, and fell apart upon impact. A rescue team rushed to the scene with stretchers, but the machine could not be restored.

This was the second such robot half marathon in China; the first was held in 2025, when the best recorded time was 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

By Jeyhun Aghazada