Droids ran a half-marathon this weekend in record time. It’s a showcase of what Chinese tech can do

BEIJING – The crowds gasped as the racing robots malfunctioned at various points during the 21km race – tripping over road kerbs, stopping, abruptly changing directions and even running into barricades. 

But at the April 19 Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon in Beijing, the winner clocked 21km in just 50min 26sec.

In fact, with the third-placed droid striding past the finish line in about 53 minutes, all three podium finishers – 169cm-tall models code-named Lightning, by Chinese consumer tech firm Honor – easily surpassed the world record of 57min 20sec set by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo in March.

Asked for the secret to their success, Mr Du Xiaodi, an engineer from Honor’s winning team, attributed it to the humanoid robots’ long legs, which measure 95cm each, and their liquid cooling system.

The Sunday morning race tested the robots’ ability to navigate winding roads, avoid obstacles and fellow competitors and move uphill and downhill.

It also assessed their durability and battery life. Battery change was allowed at designated stations.

About 40 per cent of the robots raced autonomously, and the rest were remotely controlled.

Thousands of spectators lined the streets of the Yizhuang tech district, which was a cool 10 deg C in spring, with many remarking on the speed of the robots as they powered past the human runners, who were running the 21km on an adjacent course.

This was the second edition of the event, held in south-east Beijing. Some 105 teams – five times as many as in 2025 – took part, including defending champion Tiangong by X-Humanoid and the H1, by top humanoid robot maker Unitree.

China is keen to stake its position as an early adopter and leader in humanoid robots. Chinese companies captured about 90 per cent of global humanoid robot sales in 2025. 

The advancements in robot technology were apparent in the 2026 race.

For one thing, the 2026 winners far outpaced 2025’s champion Tiangong, which, as the world’s first humanoid robot to complete a half-marathon, finished in 2hr 40min 42sec.

Furthermore, whereas all robots were remotely controlled in 2025, the 2026 participants were more “intelligent”, said Mr Cai Jizheng, director of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area’s robotics bureau. He was referring to how two in five robot racers competed autonomously in 2026.

To encourage more autonomous robot participants, the finish times for remote-controlled robots were multiplied by 1.2.

Despite the rapid strides made, several hiccups meant some robots still required human intervention.

The robots were dispatched at intervals of at least 30 seconds to ensure sufficient spacing and prevent chain collisions.

Still, a few tripped over roadside kerbs, emitted smoke as they overheated, or veered off course when distracted by a passing buggy, requiring rescue by human teams.

The first robot to start the race, a remote-controlled Honor Lightning with the tag 001, crashed into a barricade less than 200m from the finish line, turning excitement into gasps from spectators.

Helped back up, the robot crossed the finish line less than a minute later. It was the fastest remote-controlled robot, clocking 48min 19sec, before the 1.2-times handicap.

Mr Cai said significant improvements had been made in motion control, noting that fallen robots could be picked up relatively quickly and continue running.

“In key aspects, such as joint wear resistance, heat dissipation and battery performance, we’ve made significant progress compared to last year,” he said.

But whether such physical prowess can be turned into productive economic value remains an open question.

“We are looking at having the robot do some in-store sales, including of our Honor products,” said Mr Du, when asked about the Lightning’s potential applications.

While humanoid robots are viewed with much suspicion in the US and elsewhere, they are more favourably received in China, where they are seen as partners in enhancing not just the country’s advanced manufacturing capabilities but also many facets of life.

Robotics expert Zhao Mingguo said there is no need to focus too much on comparisons between humans and robots.

“If you compare only a specific aspect, robots can certainly surpass humans. Cars are faster than humans, planes fly higher, and rockets travel farther,” the researcher from Tsinghua University told reporters.

“Robots are also designed, manufactured and programmed by humans. I don’t think we need to worry too much in the short term.”