MK sports Korea in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2025. Themed New Quality Productive Forces and Global Technology Cooperation, this year's annual conference of the forum showcases the latest technologies and products on humanoid robots. (Photo: Xinhua)" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-28/763152c1-be86-460d-9cae-2af8b66ba32a.jpeg" />

Humanoid robots perform at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference, in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

Humanoid robots are getting ready to participate in the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon as part of the Beijing Yizhuang Half-Marathon. For the first time, humanoid robots will officially compete alongside human runners in a 21.0975-kilometer race.

The marathon scheduled for April 13 has been postponed to April 19 due to an orange gale warning in Beijing, the Global Times learned. According to the meteorological forecast, a strong cold front will bring extreme winds and a sharp temperature drop in Beijing from the afternoon of April 11 to April 13.

The Global Times learnt that on the evening of March 28, six robot teams carried out the initial on-site road tests along the marathon course. Tien Kung, a robot developed by Beijing-based National and Local Co-built Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center, attended the test.

During the trial session, the Tien Kung robot completed its first battery swap within five minutes. However, around six kilometers into the test, the Tien Kung robot had a small failure, as there is a joint break in its left ankle. In this case, the team needs to replace another robot, according to China Central Television. 

Humanoid robots will line up alongside human runners at the marathon's starting line, according to the event organizers. To ensure the safety of both humans and robots, the entire race will use barriers or green belts for separation. Although the robots share the same route as the athletes, each will have its own designated lane. 

The total distance for the robot half marathon is 21.0975 kilometers and includes seven aid stations along the route. The aid stations will provide three types of support: first, batteries needed for the teams to replace their robots; second, safety equipment; and third, some auxiliary tools. During the race, referees and support teams will follow the robots throughout the course, and if any unexpected situations arise with the robots, the support team can respond quickly, Wang Guolin, the deputy leader of the competition group for the marathon was quoted by CCTV. 

Tang Jian, the chief technology officer of National and Local Co-built Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center told the Global Times that "We hope Tien Kung can complete the race at a stable pace. Its current top speed is 10 kilometers per hour." 

Tien Kung stands 1.8 meters tall and weighs 47 kilograms. It has successfully climbed over 100 steps continuously without collisions, stepping on edges, or missing steps. It can run on sand and snow, reaching a peak running speed of 12 km/h (approximately 3.3 m/s) and maintaining a stable running speed of 6 km/h (approximately 1.67 m/s). Currently, it has undergone specialized modifications, including additional reinforcement of the "hip joint" and the use of "sports shoe soles," media reported.

"The event will challenge the robot's joint modules, which must demonstrate strong, high durability as well as effective heat management, as overheating can impair its various functions," Tang said. 

Further, Xiong Youjun, the general manager of the center explained that there is a significant difference between real road conditions and controlled testing environments. 

To complete the race, the robot must feature high-density integrated joints and a body suited for long-distance running, with superior heat dissipation capabilities.

The robot needs to be able to precisely control the coordinate movement of its joints to achieve functions such as running, positioning, and dynamically avoid obstacles, challenging its core algorithm design and adaptability, he said. 

Running a marathon tests a robot's stability, reliability, and endurance, as complex road conditions like turns, climbs, and descents place significant demands on its performance, Xiong said.

According to 21jingji.com, 12,000 human runners will start side by side with robots from more than 20 robot companies.

Unitree Robotics is another company in the competition queue. Unitree Robotics have great competitive advantages in speed, endurance and motion control. Its H1 is about 180 centimeters tall, the weight of the whole machine is about 47 kilograms, the maximum speed is 3.3 m/s. It has an endurance of two to four hours and can start, run, and jump flexibly in real-world environments, media reports said.

Industry observers said that the marathon is not only the ultimate challenge to the comprehensive strength of humanoid robot hardware and software and a benchmark for evaluating the current state of robotics technology. 

In addition to technical and environment, the performance of each robot in the marathon is also affected by a variety of factors, and the specific results need to be verified through the actual competition, observers said.