What it measures
Endurance of humanoid robots over 21 km, including autonomous navigation, battery management, penalties for off-course battery changes, and recovery from falls.
CompetitionRecurringHigh relevance
Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon
Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon and Humanoid Robots Half-Marathon
A 21.0975 km half marathon in Beijing's Yizhuang (E-Town) area in which humanoid robots run on a parallel course beside human runners. It is organized by Beijing E-Town and held annually. The first edition took place on 19 April 2025 and the second on 19 April 2026.
- First published
- 2025
- Organizers
- Beijing E-Town
- Tasks
- —
- Simulator
- —
- License
- —
How it works
Rules vary by edition. In 2025, autonomous, follow-mode and remote control were permitted, along with battery swaps and backup robots. In 2026, autonomous and remote-controlled robots were timed separately but shared one ranking; remote-controlled times were multiplied by 1.2. Robots started every 30 seconds and were accompanied by a judge who recorded violations, battery swaps and penalty time; RFID chips and pressure mats provided timing.
Why it matters
It is a large, public outdoor test of humanoid endurance and autonomy alongside human runners. The 2026 autonomous winner recorded 50:26, but the staggered robot race used a separated lane, battery and penalty rules, and a mixed-control ranking, so it should not be treated as a like-for-like human athletics record.
Scoring
Metrics
| Metric | Key | Unit | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finish time | finish_time_s | s | Lower is better ↓ |
Hardware
Robots involved
Tiangong Ultra won the 2025 edition in 2:40:42. The 2026 podium used HONOR Robotics D1 robots, which are not in the roster.
Timeline
Editions and next edition
2025
Apr 19, 2025 · Yizhuang (E-Town), Beijing, China
Twenty teams competed. Tiangong Ultra won in 2:40:42. The official retrospective does not identify its control mode or publish a full classification.
2026
Apr 19, 2026 · Beijing E-Town (Yizhuang) and Daxing district, Beijing, China
More than 100 teams competed. Three autonomous HONOR Robotics D1 robots took the podium in 50:26, 50:56 and 53:01. Remote-controlled times were weighted by 1.2 in the shared ranking.
Next: 2027
Apr 18, 2027 · Beijing E-Town (Yizhuang), Beijing, China
Global registration is open; detailed competition rules and prizes had not yet been published as of 2026-10-08.
Recorded outcomes
Results
Humanoid robot race (21.0975 km), overall
Edition 2025 · Apr 19, 2025
Only the winner is listed because the organizer-linked official sources give no full classification with verified times. Twenty teams competed. The rules allowed autonomous, follow-mode, and remotely controlled operation, as well as battery swaps and backup robots; the official result source does not say which mode Tiangong Ultra used.
| Rank | Robot / policy | Team | Finish time (s) | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiangong Ultra | Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (X-Humanoid) | 2:40:42 | 2:40:42. The official retrospective confirms the winning time but does not identify the control mode or publish a full classification. | [1] |
- [1]2027 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon ↗ · Beijing Municipal People's Government
- [2]Insider Details of Humanoid Robot Marathon Regulations Unveiled ↗ · Beijing Municipal People's Government
- [3]World's First Humanoid Robot Half Marathon to Be Held in Beijing E-Town! Registration Opens ↗ · Beijing Municipal People's Government
Humanoid robot race (21.0975 km), overall podium
Edition 2026 · Apr 19, 2026
The overall podium consisted of three autonomous HONOR Robotics D1 robots. Autonomous and remote-controlled entries shared one ranking, but remote-controlled raw times were multiplied by 1.2. A remote-controlled HONOR entry crossed in 48:19, which corresponds to a weighted 57:58.8 and therefore did not place on the podium. About 40% of the field navigated autonomously. Robots used the same 21.0975 km route as the human race but ran in a separated lane, started 30 seconds apart, and were monitored for violations, battery swaps and penalties using judges, RFID timing and pressure mats; the result is therefore not directly comparable to a World Athletics-certified human record.
| Rank | Robot / policy | Team | Finish time (s) | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HONOR Robotics D1 (Lightning) | Qitian Dasheng (Team Monkey King) | 50:26 | 50:26 net time, autonomous navigation. Shandian (闪电) is translated as Lightning or Flash. | [1][2][3][4] |
| 2 | HONOR Robotics D1 (Lightning) | Leiting Shandian | 50:56 | 50:56, autonomous navigation. | [3][4] |
| 3 | HONOR Robotics D1 (Lightning) | Xinghuo Liaoyuan | 53:01 | 53:01, autonomous navigation. | [3][4] |
- [1]Who is Winner? Champion Crowned for Humanoid Robot Half Marathon ↗ · Beijing Municipal People's Government
- [2]HONOR Robotics D1 First Breaks the Human Half-marathon Limit ↗ · HONOR
- [3]Lightning wins in 50:26 ↗ · Beijing Daily
- [4]A humanoid robot sprints past the human half-marathon world record in Beijing race ↗ · Associated Press
Primary links
Resources
Evidence
Sources
- [1]Who is Winner? Champion Crowned for Humanoid Robot Half Marathon ↗Beijing Municipal People's Government · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]Insider Details of Humanoid Robot Marathon Regulations Unveiled ↗Beijing Municipal People's Government · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon and Humanoid Robots Half-Marathon (photos) ↗Beijing Municipal People's Government · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]UBTECH-backed robot triumphs in historic half-marathon ↗Shenzhen municipal government website · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]Robots outrun humans at Beijing half marathon ↗China Daily · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [6]HONOR Robotics D1 First Breaks the Human Half-marathon Limit ↗HONOR · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [7]2027 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon ↗Beijing Municipal People's Government · accessed Oct 8, 2026
Quick answers
Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon FAQ
Who won Humanoid robot race (21.0975 km), overall at the 2025 Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon?
Tiangong Ultra placed first in the structured result record.
Who won Humanoid robot race (21.0975 km), overall podium at the 2026 Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon?
HONOR Robotics D1 (Lightning) placed first in the structured result record.
When is the next Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon?
2027 is listed for Apr 18, 2027 in Beijing E-Town (Yizhuang), Beijing, China.
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