On April 19, 2025, the streets of Beijing witnessed a historic event: the world’s first half-marathon where humanoid robots competed alongside 12,000 human runners. The race was part engineering exhibition, part sci-fi spectacle, and part public relations showcase of China’s growing ambition in humanoid robotics.
Although the robots didn’t outrun humans, they certainly turned heads, sparking excitement, laughter, and no small amount of admiration—and concern—about the future of robotics.
Table of Contents
Key Points – Humanoid Half-Marathon in Beijing:
- First-ever humanoid robot half-marathon held on April 19, 2025, in Beijing.
- 21 humanoid robots raced alongside 12,000 human runners.
- Only 6 robots finished; most overheated or broke down.
- Winning robot “Tiangong Ultra” took 2 hours 40 minutes, needing 3 battery swaps.
- Robots had human handlers for support and safety.
- Designs varied widely; some lacked heads or fingers to save weight.
- Robots struggled with navigation, heat, and stability.
- China aims to mass-produce humanoid robots by 2025.
- Event highlighted progress in hardware, not yet practical utility.
A Race Unlike Any Other
Hosted in Beijing’s southeastern Yizhuang district, a tech hub of the Chinese capital, the 21-kilometer (13.1-mile) race featured 21 bipedal robots from Chinese robotics firms such as UBTech, DroidUP, and Noetix Robotics. Many were accompanied by their human operators, some holding control panels or running alongside their androids like attentive trainers.
Each robot had to be bipedal to qualify—no wheels allowed. They ran in a fenced-off lane parallel to the human runners, and many spectators, including fellow marathoners, paused mid-run to take selfies and marvel at the bots jogging (or stumbling) beside them.
Performance Highlights: Tiangong Ultra Leads the Pack
The standout performer was Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center in collaboration with UBTech. Standing 1.8 meters tall (5’9″), it completed the half-marathon in 2 hours and 40 minutes after enduring three battery changes and a fall. This time just barely qualified it for a human finisher’s medal—cutoff being 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Tiangong Ultra was one of only six robots to finish the race, as most overheated, stumbled, or broke down early on.
“I don’t want to boast but I think no other robotics firms in the West have matched Tiangong’s sporting achievements,”
— Tang Jian, CTO, Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center
Creative Engineering and Robotic Diversity
The participating robots came in varied forms and sizes, from as short as 2’5″ to nearly 6 feet tall. Some were dressed in quirky attire, such as boxing gloves, headbands with slogans (“Bound to Win”), and even kid-sized sneakers (often duct-taped to their feet to prevent slipping). Many had kneepads, missing fingers, and even headless torsos—a deliberate design choice to reduce weight and motor strain.
A crowd favorite was a small blue-and-white robot that waved cheerfully to the crowd. Others tried to impress with flashy moves like dancing or backflips, both during and after the race.
Human Handlers: The Unsung Athletes
Every robot had at least one—often two or three—human operators running alongside, managing navigation, cooling systems, and emergency repairs. Some handlers used leashes; others carried control panels or water bottles to spray motors mid-race. By the end, many operators looked more exhausted than their robotic companions.
Controlled Chaos: Human Support and Technical Challenges
Despite the impressive visual presentation, the marathon also revealed the significant limitations of current humanoid robotics. Most robots required constant human assistance: guiding them, cooling their motors, changing batteries, and even taping their body parts back together.
- Many had operators running beside them with leash-like tethers
- Others relied on remote controls or fall-prevention spotters
- Overheating and battery failures were rampant
- Duct tape became the go-to fix for everything from falling heads to dislodged feet
One of the most memorable breakdowns involved a robot named Xuanfeng Xiaozi, which collapsed face-first near the end of the race. Its head detached from the body, and a frantic team of human assistants taped it back on, cooling it with pads and helping it hobble to the finish line.
Another robot, Shennong, caused both awe and confusion. With a Gundam-style head, four drone propellers, and eight wheels, it looked like a sci-fi hybrid. Moments after starting, it spun in circles, hit a wall, and dragged down its operators.
A Showcase of Progress, Not Perfection
Although many robots failed to finish, experts saw the event as a milestone for robotics.
“Until five years ago, we didn’t know how to get robots to walk reliably. And now we do. This was a good demonstration of that.”
— Alan Fern, Professor of AI and Robotics, Oregon State University
Fern also emphasized that running isn’t the ultimate benchmark. Real value will come when robots can navigate diverse environments and complete useful tasks without step-by-step instructions.
National Pride and Strategic Goals
The race was more than a spectacle—it was a statement. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has labeled humanoid robotics a “new frontier” in its national tech strategy. A 2023 policy document set a 2025 goal for mass production and secure core component supply chains.
State media heavily promoted the event, underlining its symbolic value as China tries to catch up with, or even surpass, Western countries in the race for advanced AI and robotics.
“I feel I’m witnessing the evolution of robots and AI.”
— He Sishu, AI engineer and spectator
Entertainment and Theatrics
As if the race wasn’t wild enough, robotic dog dancers performed on a nearby stage, and a humanoid robot delivered trophies to the finishers. While many of the robots struggled on the track, they thrived on stage—highlighting a key critique: impressive appearances don’t always translate to real-world utility.
Final Thoughts: A Long Road Ahead
The world’s first humanoid half-marathon was a fun, futuristic, and frankly chaotic glimpse into the current state of robotics. The machines didn’t dominate—but they certainly entertained, impressed, and ignited imaginations.
If anything, the event underscored how far we’ve come—and how far we still have to go before robots can keep pace with humans, not just on the road, but in daily life.
Keywords: humanoid half marathon, robot vs human race, Tiangong Ultra, Beijing robotics event, AI race China, bipedal robots, humanoid technology, robotics limitations, duct tape robots, Noetix Robotics, UBTech, China tech ambitions.
Leave a Reply