Beijing Hosts First Humanoid Robot Half Marathon

On April 18, 2025, Beijing made history by hosting the world’s first humanoid robot half marathon. The event took place at E-Town, a major tech hub in China, where 21 humanoid robots ran alongside thousands of human participants.

Though this event marked a major leap in robotics, it also revealed how far robot runners have to go. Most were much slower than humans, with many needing assistance just to stay on track.

Beijing Hosts First Humanoid Robot Half Marathon

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How Did the Robots Perform?

The highlight of the race was Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot developed by the X-Humanoid Institute. It won the race but still needed 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the 21-kilometer course.

For comparison, the fastest human finished in just 1 hour and 2 minutes — less than half the time. Most average human runners complete a half marathon in under two hours.

Tiangong robot won the Beijing half marathon with a time of 2 hours 40 minutes – more than twice the time of the men's race winner.

The robot is built by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center. https://t.co/0QGcEOeTpp pic.twitter.com/dVnYx2uZ5A
— The Humanoid Hub (@TheHumanoidHub) April 19, 2025

Some robots didn’t even make it past the start line. Others broke down mid-race, showing how challenging it still is for humanoids to handle real-world running.

“The marathon was less about speed, more about pushing the limits of robotic mobility,” one tech observer noted.

Robot Setbacks and Surprises

While Tiangong Ultra led the pack, it followed a human wearing a tracking device to mimic movement. Most other robots were remotely controlled, meaning full independence is still out of reach.

There were some dramatic moments:

Shennong crashed into a fence after tripping a human guide.
Little Giant, just 30 inches tall, started smoking and stopped moving.
Unitree’s G1 fell right at the start because a client used the wrong software.

Only four robots finished in under four hours. Others either took much longer or didn’t finish at all.

Rules and Tech Behind the Race

The race followed strict guidelines:

Robots had to look human and run on two legs.
They raced in a separate lane from humans, with staggered starts.

Battery swaps were allowed — Tiangong Ultra changed batteries three times. Teams could even substitute robots, though doing so came with time penalties.

The event saw participation from Chinese tech companies and student groups. It was more than a race — it was a live test lab for robotics.

What Comes Next?

This marathon was the first of its kind, and it proved one thing clearly — humanoid robot running is still in its early days.

But the event also showed potential. China is investing heavily in robotics, and these kinds of public tests help push the technology forward.

In the future, we may see:

Faster, more stable robots
Autonomous running without human guidance

Right now, robots are not ready to outrun humans, but they’ve taken a small — yet important — step toward that goal. The half marathon was a mix of tech success and mechanical hiccups, but it showed the world what’s coming.

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