Advertisement
Marathons
SportOther Sport

Humans, robots to run together again at Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon, organisers confirm

More than 300 humanoid machines representing at least 100 company and university teams will compete in the race on April 19 in Beijing E-Town

2-MIN READ2-MIN
Listen
Humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra runs across the finish line first in last year’s Humanoid Robot Half Marathon. Photo: Reuters
Ada Li

Organisers of the Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon have confirmed that the second edition of the event featuring humanoid robots will be held next month, with human runners sharing the course with their mechanised counterparts once again.

As described by the organisers, “human athletes and robots will compete on the same course”, with the two groups starting the race together on April 19 in Beijing E-Town, with the finish line set in Nanhaizi Park.

On the robots’ side, more than 300 humanoid machines will compete in the Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, representing at least 100 company and university teams, with at least one team from Hong Kong.

Advertisement

The total is a five-time increase from last year’s figure.

Competing robots must be stand-alone units with a torso, upper limbs and two feet, standing over 70 centimetres tall and using bipedal running as their core mode of movement.

A Tiangong robot served as a pacer at the 2024 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon, and sprinted to the finish line alongside the competitors. Photo: SCMPOST
A Tiangong robot served as a pacer at the 2024 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon, and sprinted to the finish line alongside the competitors. Photo: SCMPOST

The race features two categories – autonomous navigation and remote control – with mixed timing and a single ranking.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x