Robots outpace human runners in a Beijing half-marathon, with the winner completing the 21km course in under 51 minutes on a challenging multi-terrain track.
BEIJING: Humanoid robots have outpaced their human counterparts for the first time at a half-marathon event in the Chinese capital.
The 21-kilometre race through Beijing’s Yizhuang district featured robotic contenders from 100 companies and research institutions running alongside human participants on a separate, parallel track.
A remote-controlled robot named Lightning technically recorded the fastest time of 48 minutes and 19 seconds.
Under the event’s weighted scoring rules, however, the robot Shandian was declared the overall winner with an official time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
This marks a dramatic improvement from the inaugural event last year, where the fastest robot required over two hours and 40 minutes to complete the course.
For context, the men’s half-marathon world record, held by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, stands at 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
The specially designed course incorporated more than 10 terrain types including flat roads, slopes, curves, and narrow sections to test robotic capabilities.
Engineers were permitted to assist their machines at dedicated aid stations that provided batteries and technical tools instead of water and snacks.
This year’s competition was approximately five times larger than the first edition and included international teams from countries such as France, Germany, and Brazil for the first time.
