Beijing’s capital city is preparing to stage a historic half-marathon in April, pairing 12,000 human runners against bipedal robots developed by some of the world’s leading robotics businesses.
This futuristic race, which combines athletics and cutting-edge technology, is likely to capture global interest.
The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town) will transform into a unique battleground where humans and robots compete side by side, among the participating robotics companies are major players like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and 1X, each showcasing their advanced humanoid designs.
Robots entering the race must meet specific criteria, they should resemble human figures, stand between 0.5 to 2 meters tall, and have the ability to walk or run on two legs.
This restriction excludes quadrupedal robots or massive mechanical suits, focusing solely on bipedal designs, winners of the race, whether human or robotic, will earn prize money based on their performance.
While the concept of robots competing in a half-marathon is intriguing, experts believe seasoned human runners still hold a competitive edge.
Bipedal robots currently run at speeds between 8 to 12 km/h, whereas completing the 21.1-kilometer race in under 90 minutes requires an average speed of 14 km/h.
Another potential hurdle for robots is battery life, to address this, organizers have announced that battery swapping will be allowed mid-race, ensuring robots have a fair chance to complete the course.
At the Beijing Yizhuang Half #Marathon on the morning of Nov. 10, the #Beijing humanoid #robot "Tiangong" entered the racecourse and crossed the finish line alongside the runners. #funinbeijing pic.twitter.com/DQM1zjxneK
— Beijing Daily (@DailyBeijing) November 10, 2024
A half-marathon for humanoid robots is scheduled for April in Beijing, presenting an intriguing test of the swiftly advancing robotic technologies https://t.co/tBewmW6TCi pic.twitter.com/jchVrLD0r5
— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) January 16, 2025
This isn’t the first time robots have taken part in official running events, in South Korea last year, a quadrupedal robot named Laibo 2 made history by completing a full marathon on a single charge. Unfortunately, Laibo 2 won’t be joining the upcoming half-marathon due to its four-legged design.
In a notable moment last October, Tiangong, a bipedal robot developed in China, ran alongside human participants during the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing.
However, its participation was limited to 100 meters for a photo opportunity. Tiangong is set to return this April, aiming to complete the full half-marathon this time.
