In China, humanoid robots stride into the future with world's first half-marathon

Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot, runs across the finish line while securing the first position during the E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, in Beijing on Saturday. | REUTERS

Wires
April 19, 2025

BEIJING – Step by mechanical step, dozens of humanoid robots took to the streets of Beijing early Saturday, joining thousands of their flesh-and-blood counterparts in a world-first half-marathon showcasing China's drive to lead the global race in cutting-edge technology.
The 21-kilometer event held in the Chinese capital's E-Town — a state-backed hub for high-tech manufacturing — is billed as a groundbreaking effort to test the limits of bipedal robots in real-world conditions.

At the crack of the starter's gun, and as the Chinese pop song "I Believe" blared out from loudspeakers on repeat, the robots queued up one by one and took their first tentative steps.