Chinese robot smashes human world half-marathon record (VIDEO)

A red android named Lightning outpaced all 12,000 human runners during an event in Beijing

A Chinese humanoid robot outpaced thousands of human runners to win the Beijing E-Town half-marathon on Sunday, smashing the current world record. The event featured around 12,000 participants and more than 100 robots.

The bright‑red bipedal android named Lightning, developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, dominated the race, crossing the finish line ahead of all the human competitors. It covered the 21.1 km distance in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the world record for a half‑marathon, set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo just last month, by nearly 7 minutes.

Robots also took second and third place, while the fastest human to finish the marathon was 29-year-old Zhao Haijie, who ran the race in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 47 seconds. 

In a similar race last year, machines had failed to make an impression, with the fastest robot, Tiangong, taking 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the distance, well behind the human athletes.

Despite the androids completely dominating this year’s event, it was not without mishaps. One robot could be seen stumbling at the starting line and then crashing face‑first onto the pavement as staff rushed in with a stretcher.

Another robot veered into a barricade late in the race but recovered to finish, while engineers jogged behind clutching control devices. One android crossed the finish line, then promptly veered off course and fell into a bush.

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About 40% of the robots ran autonomously, navigating turns, uneven terrain, and crowds without remote control. Others were operated by technicians, with finishing times adjusted to reflect the different categories. 

China has designated humanoid robotics as a strategic national priority and one of six new economic growth drivers for the coming five years, providing significant subsidies to accelerate development. 

At the same time, China’s economic planning commission has warned that the country’s humanoid robotics industry risks facing a bubble as a result of the investment frenzy and has urged to prevent the explosive expansion of the sector from overwhelming the market.