Some of the humanoid robots set to compete in Beijing's upcoming half-marathon completed their first practice run on Sunday.
The race, scheduled for April 19 in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, will feature both robotic and human athletes competing on the same route but on separate tracks. Guardrail fences or median strips will separate the lanes to ensure safety for all participants.
Over 20 teams from leading companies and universities participated in the test run.
This year's event marks a significant technological shift, introducing autonomous navigation robot teams that rely solely on electronic maps and on-board decision-making systems. This contrasts with last year's race, where robots were controlled or guided remotely by technicians.
The race course has also seen a major overhaul, featuring more challenging city slopes, undulating terrains, and paths that run through public parks. The complex route pushes robots to demonstrate higher levels of terrain adaptability and sophisticated motion control algorithms.
The main goal of this practice run was to validate the robots' technical readiness and to evaluate their autonomous operation in a realistic urban environment. Focus areas included environmental perception, real-time navigation, decision-making and endurance, ensuring the robots can adapt to the race's diverse conditions.
On April 19, 2025, Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, clocked two hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds, winning this historic 21.0975-kilometer race among 20 competing teams. Meanwhile, Ethiopian runners won both the men's and women's half-marathons.
Humanoid robots complete first practice run for half-marathon in Beijing
