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Humanoid robots race past humans in Beijing half-marathon, showing rapid advances
Honor’s winning robot finished in 50:26, as more than 100 teams entered and about 40% of the robots navigated autonomously.
- On Sunday, April 19, 2026, Honor's humanoid robot Shandian won the Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon by completing the 21-kilometer course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
- Participation surged to more than 100 teams this year, marking significant progress from the 2025 inaugural race where winning robots took over 2 hours to finish the course.
- Although Honor's remotely controlled Lightning model crossed the finish line first in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, it was denied the championship under weighted scoring rules favoring autonomous navigation.
- Beating the human half-marathon world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds, the winning robot's performance demonstrated robotic capability surpassing elite athletes, though some competitors required assistance after crashing.
- China invested 73.5 billion yuan in robotics and embodied AI in 2025, positioning humanoids for eventual deployment in housework, elderly companionship, and dangerous industrial roles.
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125 Articles
125 Articles
The robots' success in the running race was seen by viewers as demonstrating how leading China is in the development of robotics.
·Finland
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Humanoid robots were opposed to runners during a semi-marathon held in Beijing, China, this Sunday. For the first time, the robot champion broke the world record of distance. - China: robots beat humans during a semi-marathon (and offer the world record) (International).
At the semi-marathon in Beijing, humanoid robots leave human competition behind for the first time. The race becomes a spectacular test for artificial intelligence – and shows how close machines could come to everyday applications.
·Dortmund, Germany
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Total News Sources125
Leaning Left24Leaning Right19Center33Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 32%
C 43%
R 25%
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