Published on April 19, 2026
Last year’s inaugural robot half-marathon in Beijing was widely criticized for its disorganized chaos and embarrassing missteps. Despite the initial setbacks, organizers were determined to make the event a success in its second year, presenting a stronger vision for robotics in competitive sports.
This year’s event saw over 100 humanoid robots take to the 13-mile course, with Honor’s robot Lightning claiming first place in a remarkable time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This achievement not only outpaced all competitors but also eclipsed the recent human half-marathon record set ’s Jacob Kiplimo.
Honor dominated the podium, with all their robots navigating the course autonomously, a dramatic shift from last year’s reliance on human assistance. The previous record for robotic runners had been a tedious two hours and 40 minutes, marked and operator mishaps.
While around 40 percent of robots operated autonomously this year, some remained under remote control, leading to occasional crashes. Despite the improvements, challenges still loom, underscoring the complexity of robotics in competitive environments.
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