Robot wins half-marathon in time sooner than human world document

Need to know

A humanoid robot from Honor has won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing, completing the 21km course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds – faster than the human world record of 57 minutes

NEED TO KNOW: Robot Races to Victory in Beijing, Beating Human Marathon Record

• A Chinese robot has smashed the human world record for half-marathons in a jaw-dropping display of futuristic technology.
• The humanoid robot from smartphone maker Honor completed the 21-kilometre race in Beijing in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds – nearly seven minutes faster than Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo’s world record.
• The incredible performance marks a massive leap from last year’s inaugural robot race, where the winner took over two and a half hours to finish.
• But it wasn’t all smooth running – one robot face-planted at the start line while another crashed into a barrier during the chaotic race.
• Spectator Sun Zhigang, who watched with his son, was gobsmacked by the progress: “It’s the first time robots have surpassed humans, and that’s something I never imagined.”
• The winning robot was designed with 95cm-long legs modelled on elite human athletes and packed with cutting-edge liquid-cooling technology.
• China is racing ahead in the global tech battle with the US, with humanoid robots now a key part of Beijing’s ambitious 2026-2030 development plan.
• READ THE FULL STORY: Humanoid robot wins Beijing half-marathon race running faster than human world record