In a clash of man versus machine, Beijing hosted the world’s first half-marathon pitting humanoid robots against human runners on April 19, 2025.
The Yizhuang Half-Marathon saw 20 bipedal robots take on a 21-km (13-mile) course alongside thousands of human competitors, but the results were a stark reminder that robots still have a long way to go before they can outpace humanity—or even finish a race without falling apart.
The human runners dominated as expected, with the men’s winner crossing the finish line in a swift 1 hour and 2 minutes. Meanwhile, the robots trailed far behind, with the fastest among them, Tiangong Ultra, clocking in at 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Tiangong Ultra stood at 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 m) and weighed 114.6 pounds (52 kg), managing a steady pace of 6.2 mph (10 kph). Despite its victory among the robotic contenders, it was no match for human speed, finishing more than twice as slow as the human champion.
The race was less a competition and more a test of endurance for the robots, many of which struggled from the outset. Some machines stumbled at the starting line, with one lying flat for minutes before getting up. Others crashed into railings, dragging their human operators down with them, while a few simply broke apart under the strain of the course.
Only six of the 20 robotic participants managed to complete the race, highlighting the significant challenges in humanoid robotics, from overheating joints to rapidly draining batteries.
Tiangong Ultra, the standout performer, still required three battery swaps during the race and fell once, needing a human operator to hover nearby in case of further mishaps. Other robots faced even greater difficulties — some emitted smoke, others lost parts, and one even twirled into a wall right after the starting siren.
The event, while a technological spectacle, underscored the limitations of current humanoid robots, with many spectators comparing the robots’ performance to remote-controlled toys rather than autonomous athletes.
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For now, fears of being chased down by robotic dogs or Terminator-like machines seem premature. Humans still hold a commanding lead in the realm of physical feats like running, and this half-marathon proved it.
While China’s robotics industry is advancing rapidly — backed by companies like UBTech and tech giant Xiaomi, who have stakes in the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center — these machines are far from ready to overtake us on the track. So, if you’re worried about outrunning a robot uprising, you can breathe easy — at least for now.
