--- title: "China Is Hosting The World’s First Foot Race Between Humans and Robots" description: "In the race to build the best humanoid robots, China is literally ahead of the pack as it prepares for the world's first human-robot race." date: "2025-01-26" modified: "2025-01-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-human-robot-race-marathon" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "china" - "Humanoid Robots" - "robots" - "the digest" --- # China Is Hosting The World’s First Foot Race Between Humans and Robots ![In the race to build the best humanoid robots, China is literally ahead of the pack as it prepares for the world's first human-robot race.]() *\Image: beijing.gov.cn\* ## Track Stars In the race to build the best humanoid robots, China is quite literally ahead of the pack. As the [*South China Morning Post* reports](), the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area — or E-Town — is hosting 12,000 humans and humanoid robots from more than 20 companies in a half-marathon race this April. The race will be roughly 13 miles, and robotic competitors both cannot have wheels and must stand between 1.5 and 6.5 feet tall. In a statement, [E-Town added]() that "competing robots must have a humanoid appearance and mechanical structure capable of bipedal walking or running movements." Though this seems to be the world's first race explicitly pitting bipedal humans against robots, it won't be the first time a humanoid robot has taken part in a Chinese atheletic competition. Last fall, a bipedal robot called Tiangong — not to be confused with [China's space station]() of the same name, which translates to "heavenly palace" — [jumped into Beijing's Yizhaung half-marathon]() towards its end. Though it only ran about 100 meters and wasn't particularly fast, the robot got a medal because it crossed the finish line (a participation trophy if we've ever heard of one). https://www.twitter.com/DailyBeijing/status/1855545936413385181 ## Dog Gone It Just a few week after Tiangong's surprise marathon debut, the the RAIBO2 robodog [competed in a full marathon]() weeks later in South Korea. Though the adorable quadruped was significantly faster than Tiangong, it still took nearly four hours and 20 minutes to run the 26.2 mile race — nearly double the time of the human winner, who clocked in at around two hours and 36 minutes. Because it's neither Chinese nor bidepal, RAIBO2 will unfortunately not be involved in the E-Town half-marathon. According to the state-run *Xinhua* news agency, however, [Tiangong will be one of the participants]() and will purportedly be capable of running 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) per hour by the time the race rolls around. That same agency also reported that later this year, in August, Beijing will be hosting an all-robot sporting event that not only features track and field races, but also football — unclear on whether the outlet is using the American or European definition — and "comprehensive skills and other application scenarios." Though we can't known how fast these running robots will be until we actually watch them, we can't wait to watch. **More on unique robots:** [*Inventor Builds Six Robot Copies of Himself, Uses One to Give Speeches and Take Questions From Audience*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()