Dozens ​of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism and autonomous navigation skills as they whizzed past human runners in a ‌half-marathon race in Beijing on Sunday (April 19, 2026), highlighting the sector’s rapid technical advances.

The race’s inaugural edition ​last year was riddled with mishaps, and most robots were unable to finish. Last year’s champion ⁠robot recorded a time of 2 hours 40 minutes, more than double the time of the human winner of the conventional race.