Humanoid robot breaks half-marathon record in Beijing, surpassing human runners

In Beijing’s Yizhuang district, a humanoid robot half-marathon saw a machine set a world record over 21km, highlighting advances in China’s robotics and embodied AI sector. The winning robot, developed with Chinese smartphone maker Honor, finished in 50 minutes 26 seconds.

  • Over 100 humanoid robots competed, up from around 20 last year.
  • Winning robot averaged 25km/h, surpassing top human runners and men’s world record 57:20 held by Jacob Kiplimo.
  • Performance improved from 2025, when robots frequently fell and took over 2 hours 40 minutes.

Spectator Han Chenyu, 25, called the event impressive but raised concerns over rapid AI development and job displacement. Xie Lei, 41, said humanoid robots could soon support daily life and hazardous work.

Increasing investment of 73.5 billion yuan ($10.8bn) in 2025 highlights China’s push in humanoid robotics and embodied AI, aiming to promote innovation and applications.

ℹ️ Al Jazeera

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A Lightning humanoid robot by Honor crosses the finish line of the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
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Humanoid robot breaks half-marathon record in Beijing, surpassing human runners
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