Trending Now - Humanoid Robots Dominate Beijing Half-marathon, Shatter Records

WHO:

Reuters - Several humanoid robots made by Honor participated in the Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - The winning robot was developed by Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker.

ABC News - Jacob Kiplimo is the human world record holder for the half-marathon.

WHAT:

ABC News - A humanoid robot from Honor won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing, completing the 21-kilometer (13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.

ABC News - A separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor, named Lightning, finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds but was not awarded the championship due to event scoring rules.

ABC News - Runners-up from Honor finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively.

ABC News - The number of participating teams increased to more than 100 in the 2026 Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - The race included more than 10 types of terrain, such as flat roads, slopes, curves, and narrow sections, to test the robots' capabilities.

ABC News - A humanoid robot from Honor completed the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, which is faster than the human world record.

ABC News - A separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, but was not awarded the championship due to event scoring rules.

ABC News - Runners-up from Honor finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively.

ABC News - The number of participating teams increased to more than 100 in the 2026 Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - A robot served as a traffic officer to direct participants with arm gestures and voice during the race.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled.

dw.com - The winning robot, named Shandian, completed the 21-kilometer (around 13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, while a separate robot, Lightning, finished in 48 minutes and 19 seconds but was not awarded the championship due to event scoring rules.

dw.com - The men's record for the half-marathon was set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo at 57 minutes and 20 seconds during the Lisbon Half Marathon in March 2025.

dw.com - The race included more than 10 types of terrain, such as flat roads, slopes, curves, and narrow sections, to test the robots' capabilities.

NBC News - Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showcased their athleticism and autonomous navigation skills during the half-marathon, highlighting rapid technical advances in the sector.

NY Post - Several robot frontrunners were noticeably faster than professional athletes, beating the human winners by more than 10 minutes.

ABC News - The winning robot's performance marked a significant step forward from last year's inaugural race, where the winning robot finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds.

ABC News - A humanoid robot from Honor completed the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, according to a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

ABC News - A separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, as reported by state media outlet Global Times.

ABC News - Runners-up from Honor finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.

ABC News - A robot served as a traffic officer to direct participants with arm gestures and voice during the race, according to CCTV.

ABC News - London-based technology research and advisory group Omdia ranked three Chinese companies — AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics, and UBTech Robotics Corp. — as the only first-tier vendors in its global assessment for shipment numbers for general-purpose embodied intelligent robots.

ABC News - The first two companies, AGIBOT and Unitree Robotics, shipped more than 5,000 units of robots last year.

ABC News - A humanoid robot from Honor completed the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, which is faster than the human world record.

ABC News - A separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, which was reported by state media outlet Global Times.

ABC News - Runners-up from Honor finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.

ABC News - The number of participating teams increased to more than 100 in the 2026 Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - A robot fell flat at the start line during the race, and another bumped into a barrier.

ABC News - State media outlet Global Times reported that a separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor was the first to cross the finish line in 48 minutes and 19 seconds.

ABC News - The runners-up, which were also from Honor and used autonomous navigation, finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively.

ABC News - A robot served as a traffic officer to direct participants with arm gestures and voice during the race.

ABC News - The number of participating teams increased from 20 to more than 100 in the 2026 Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - The first remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, which is a new detail not previously mentioned.

Reuters - Several humanoid robots beat human winners by over 10 minutes at the Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - The winning robot completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.

ABC News - The robot's time was faster than Jacob Kiplimo's human world record of approximately 57 minutes set in March 2025 at the Lisbon road race.

ABC News - The winning robot's performance marked a significant improvement from last year's inaugural race, where the winning robot finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled.

ABC News - A separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds.

ABC News - Runners-up from Honor finished in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively.

WHERE:

dw.com - The half-marathon took place in Beijing's Yizhuang district.

Reuters - The event took place at the Beijing half-marathon.

ABC News - The race was held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town.

WHEN:

ABC News - The humanoid robot won the half-marathon race on Sunday, April 17th, 2026.

ABC News - Jacob Kiplimo set the human world record in March 2025.

WHY:

ABC News - Beijing’s latest five-year plan aims to "target the frontiers of science and technology," emphasizing the development of products like humanoid robots as part of the 2026-2030 plan.

ABC News - Beijing’s latest five-year plan vows to “target the frontiers of science and technology,” with a focus on speeding up the development of products like humanoid robots as part of the 2026-2030 plan for China's economy.

ABC News - Beijing’s latest five-year plan aims to "target the frontiers of science and technology," emphasizing the development of products like humanoid robots as part of the 2026-2030 plan.

ABC News - In China, technology has evolved into an area of competition with the U.S. with national security implications.

ABC News - Beijing’s latest five-year plan aims to "target the frontiers of science and technology," emphasizing the development of products like humanoid robots as part of the 2026-2030 plan.

ABC News - The performance of the robots showcases China's technological advancements and competition with the U.S. in technology.

HOW:

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled.

ABC News - The race included more than 10 types of terrain, such as flat roads, slopes, curves, and narrow sections, to test the robots' capabilities.

dw.com - A robot served as a traffic officer, directing participants with arm gestures and voice during the race.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled, demonstrating the technological capabilities showcased during the event.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled, highlighting the technological capabilities demonstrated during the event.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled.

ABC News - About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled, highlighting the technological capabilities demonstrated during the event.

ABC News - The winning robot used autonomous navigation to complete the race.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 21:04 UTC)

A humanoid robot from Honor made headlines by winning a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing, completing the 21-kilometer course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, while another remotely-controlled robot named Lightning finished in 48 minutes and 19 seconds but did not receive the championship due to event scoring rules. The race featured over 100 participating teams and included more than 10 types of terrain to challenge the robots, with about 40% navigating the course autonomously. This event aligns with Beijing's five-year plan, which emphasizes advancements in science and technology, particularly in the development of humanoid robots.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 19:12 UTC)

In a remarkable display of technological advancement, a humanoid robot from Honor completed the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record. Another remotely-controlled robot from Honor finished the race in 48 minutes and 19 seconds but was not awarded the championship due to event scoring rules, while additional runners-up from Honor crossed the finish line in about 51 and 53 minutes. This year's Beijing half-marathon saw over 100 participating teams and included a variety of terrains to challenge the robots, with around 40 percent navigating the course autonomously and a robot even serving as a traffic officer to direct participants.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 17:05 UTC)

In a remarkable showcase of technology, the winning robot named Shandian completed the challenging 21-kilometer course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, while another robot, Lightning, finished in 48 minutes and 19 seconds but did not receive the championship due to event scoring rules. The half-marathon, held in Beijing's Yizhuang district, featured over ten types of terrain to truly test the robots' capabilities, and a robot even served as a traffic officer, directing participants with arm gestures and voice. Additionally, the men's half-marathon record was recently set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo at 57 minutes and 20 seconds during the Lisbon Half Marathon in March 20th25.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 15:06 UTC)

During a recent half-marathon, dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots demonstrated impressive athleticism and autonomous navigation skills, with some even finishing more than ten minutes ahead of professional athletes. The winning robot's time marked a significant improvement from last year's inaugural race, where the top robot completed the course in two hours, forty minutes, and forty-two seconds. This event aligns with Beijing's five-year plan, which aims to advance science and technology, particularly in developing humanoid robots, with about 40% of the robots navigating the course autonomously.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 13:15 UTC)

A humanoid robot from Honor completed a half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, while a separate remotely-controlled robot finished the race even faster at 48 minutes and 19 seconds, according to reports from state media. Runners-up from Honor crossed the finish line in approximately 51 and 53 minutes, and a robot also served as a traffic officer during the event, directing participants with gestures and voice. In related news, the London-based technology research group Omdia has ranked AGIBOT and Unitree Robotics as first-tier vendors in global shipments of general-purpose embodied intelligent robots, with both companies having shipped over 5,000 units last year.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 11:06 UTC)

In a remarkable display of technological advancement, a humanoid robot from Honor completed the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record, while a separate remotely-controlled robot finished the race even faster at 48 minutes and 19 seconds. Runners-up from Honor crossed the finish line in approximately 51 and 53 minutes, as reported by state media, and the event saw participation from over 100 teams, reflecting Beijing's commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and technology in its latest five-year plan. Notably, around 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, showcasing the impressive capabilities on display during the race.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 09:10 UTC)

In a recent race, a remotely-controlled robot from Honor crossed the finish line first, completing the course in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, while two other Honor robots using autonomous navigation finished shortly after in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes. However, the event was not without mishaps, as one robot fell flat at the start line and another collided with a barrier. This competition highlights the growing technological rivalry between China and the U.S., particularly in the realm of robotics, where about 40% of the participating robots navigated the course autonomously.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 07:17 UTC)

In a groundbreaking event at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon, a robot served as a traffic officer, directing participants with arm gestures and voice, while the number of teams surged from 20 to over 100. The first remotely-controlled robot from Honor completed the race in an impressive 48 minutes and 19 seconds, showcasing the advancements in technology. As part of Beijing's latest five-year plan, which emphasizes the development of products like humanoid robots, about 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, demonstrating the remarkable capabilities on display during the marathon.

(UPDATED April 19, 2026 05:41 UTC)

on Friday, several humanoid robots made by Honor participated in the Beijing half-marathon, with the winning robot completing the 21-kilometer race in an impressive 50 minutes and 26 seconds, outpacing human competitors by over 10 minutes. This remarkable performance not only surpassed the human world record of approximately 57 minutes set by Jacob Kiplimo in March 20th25 but also marked a significant improvement from last year's inaugural race, where the winning robot finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. About 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, showcasing China's advancements in technology and its competitive edge in the field.