{"id":7403,"date":"2026-04-20T15:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7403"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:16:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:16:34","slug":"humanoid-robot-beats-human-half-marathon-world-record-in-beijing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7403","title":{"rendered":"Humanoid robot beats human half-marathon world record in Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A humanoid robot<\/span> aptly named Lightning made history on the streets of Beijing<\/span> over the weekend, beating the human half-marathon world record by several minutes.<\/p>\n

Dozens of robots<\/span> lined up for the Beijing E-Town Robot Half Marathon on Sunday, tackling the 13-mile (21-kilometer) race separate from human runners.<\/p>\n

Developed by Chinese smartphone company Honor, Lightning completed the half-marathon in just over 50 minutes, besting the human world record for the distance of over 57 minutes.<\/p>\n

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A Lightning humanoid robot by Honor crosses the finish line of the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China, April 19, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reuters\/Maxim Shemetov<\/p>\n

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Lightning’s creators were delighted with the result. Du Xiaodi, a development engineer at Honor, was quick to draw comparisons with other industries.<\/p>\n

“Looking ahead, some of these technologies might be transferred to other areas,” said Du. “It’s similar to how the automotive industry initially developed through competitions.”<\/p>\n

The event tested robots in real-world conditions, from balance and endurance to navigation. Some ran autonomously, while others were controlled remotely, all competing on a parallel course to avoid collisions with human athletes.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t flawless. A few robots stumbled or veered off course. But the progress was striking compared to last year, when most struggled to even finish the race.<\/p>\n

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Runners participating in the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon take pictures of the Tiangong Ultra 2026 humanoid robot participating in the Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China, April 19, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reuters\/Tingshu Wang<\/p>\n

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Some spectators weren’t worried by the failures.<\/p>\n

“I’m very excited,” said Sun Zhigang. “First of all, it’s the first time robots have surpassed humans, and that’s something I never imagined.”<\/p>\n

“Their performance is quite impressive,” Jiang Liangzhi said. “I didn’t expect the speeds to be this fast already, and they’re all very stable.”<\/p>\n

Organizers said the marathon isn’t really about speed. It’s about pushing robotics technology beyond the lab with potential applications in manufacturing, logistics and even emergency response.<\/p>\n

Chinese companies are pushing ahead with the development of robot technologies for both civilian and military uses, but Beijing’s robot half-marathon shows just how fast the future is moving from science fiction to sporting reality.<\/p>\n

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