Humanoid robot beats human half-marathon record by seven minutes in China

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor has broken the human half-marathon record by seven minutes during a race in Beijing over the weekend. The autonomous robot completed the 13.1-mile course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds set by Ugandan Olympic medalist Jacob Kiplimo. The achievement represents significant progress from just a year earlier, when the fastest robot at the same event required two and a half hours to finish. More than 100 humanoid robots from 76 institutions across China participated in the event, running on separate courses alongside 12,000 human competitors. The winning Honor robot featured long legs measuring nearly one meter, advanced balance systems, and a liquid cooling mechanism to prevent overheating during the race. Many of the competing robots operated autonomously using artificial intelligence algorithms that allowed them to adjust pace, maintain balance, and adapt to terrain in real time. Honor also demonstrated a remotely controlled robot that completed the distance in 48 minutes and 19 seconds, though the autonomous version's achievement carries particular significance for robotics development. The race saw some technical difficulties, with several robots falling or veering off course and requiring assistance. Despite these reliability challenges, the event demonstrated rapid advancement in robot physical capabilities. China has been showcasing its leadership in advanced robotics through events like this half-marathon and recent viral demonstrations of robots performing martial arts. The country appears to be pursuing a strategic effort to display technological dominance in the field. While the achievement shows machines can outperform humans at specific physical tasks under controlled conditions, humanoid robots still struggle with complex real-world activities like object manipulation and social interaction. The race took place on a closed course in favorable weather, raising questions about how the technology would perform in more variable environments. The event nevertheless marks a milestone in robotics development, with humanoid machines beginning to challenge human physical limitations in structured athletic competitions.