China Races Humanoid Robots in Half-Marathon --- Humans ran with 21 robots in a showcase of Beijing's cutting- edge technology

"BEIJING -- Metal met asphalt in a half-marathon that featured thousands of human runners -- and 21 Chinese humanoid robot models.

Saturday's road race involving human runners and a score of robots in Beijing has been billed as a showcase of China's cutting-edge technology.

Indeed, the robots, and their developers, had much at stake in the high-profile event. If the robots fell, froze or got lost during the widely promoted event, it would be an embarrassment for their developers.

The 13-mile race -- which its organizers said was the first of its kind -- was a chance for China to show off the latest state of its humanoids, one of several technology areas at the forefront of the U.S.-China tech rivalry. China has said it wants the country to be a world leader in humanoid robots by 2027. Chinese authorities have lavished support such as subsidies, talent bonuses and tax breaks on robotics companies.

In reality, the race showed both how quickly and smoothly some robots are able to run, but also how far away humanoids still are from being able to mimic human activity.

"Running is a very basic ability of human beings," said Tang Jian, the chief technology officer of Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, which developed one of the robots, Tien Kung Ultra. "Since we are making humanlike robots, we want to give them as many basic human abilities as possible," which would be critical in eventually deploying them for industrial purposes.

China is making a major push to produce more and more sophisticated robotics in part to raise the automation level of its factories.

Before the race, thousands of human runners crowded in one lane behind the starting line, many jogging in place to keep warm. The humanoids, separated by fences into another lane from the human runners, stood largely still as they waited for the start.

When a siren marked the start of the race at 7:30 a.m., the human runners dashed and spilled onto the course. But the robots' starts were staggered by a minute or two each to prevent them from ramming into each other.

The first robot off the mark was Tien Kung Ultra, a 5-foot-9 inch, 115-pound humanoid, featuring a pitch-black head and sporting an orange tank top. Three people accompanied it to help control the robot.

The race was the culmination of months of training for the humanoids, which had to master skills that are innate to humans. They had to navigate the course's flat and hilly roads and maneuver around six left turns and eight right turns, according to the organizers. Developers had to train the robots to keep their stability and balance to avoid falling over a half-marathon distance.

The organizers initially planned to cut off the race at around 3.5 hours, meaning that the minimum average speed for the robot runners to finish the race was about 3.7 miles an hour.

Developers said humanoid robots typically can operate for no more than two hours on a single charge of their batteries. The faster they run, the shorter the distance they can cover.

Components and parts could easily break while running, so developers replaced plastic parts with metal and used extra-strong -- but costly -- materials.

Tien Kung Ultra was developed by Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, a research institute also called X-Humanoid and formed by robotics firm UBTech, electronics and electric-vehicle maker Xiaomi and the local Beijing government. It could run on average 6 miles an hour and could handle hills, stairs, grass and sand, a profile of Tien Kung Ultra posted online showed.

X-Humanoid revamped an existing robot model for the half-marathon. Tien Kung Ultra has longer legs than its original model and is taller by around 4 inches, helping it run faster, state media reported. The developers also used stronger materials to make the hip joints of the robot and installed a pair of sneaker soles on the robot's feet to absorb shocks and reduce damage to its legs and feet.

Tien Kung Ultra largely breezed ahead of other robots on the route. It fell once when the battery failed, Tang said. The robots were allowed to swap batteries, and Tien Kung Ultra changed its battery three times.

While many robots were directed by a remote control, Tien Kung Ultra used wireless tracking technology that allowed it to communicate with a person running in front of it.

Besides Tien Kung Ultra, there was Xiaowantong N2, or Little Rascal N2, a 4-foot, 66-pound childlike robot developed by Noetix Robotics. At 5 feet 6 inches, Huanhuan was the only one with a head resembling a human. Another robot called Shennong had propellers.

Some were steady and well balanced while others walked -- barely. Some never made it much further beyond the starting line. Huanhuan wobbled, at times heading in the wrong direction, then ended its race quickly by sitting down on the course and refusing to go further.

Shennong was particularly disastrous, swinging wildly just after the start, causing the human support runner who was trying to control it to trip. The robot slammed into a fence, breaking into pieces. Shennong's arm dangled as it left the course.

The human male champion completed the race in one hour, two minutes and 36 seconds.

After two hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds, Tien Kung Ultra was the first robot to reach the finish line. A large crowd of spectators, including government officials, was eagerly awaiting the robots. Many surrounded Tien Kung Ultra to take photos. The robot maintained its blank expression." [1]

1.  World News: China Races Humanoid Robots in Half-Marathon --- Humans ran with 21 robots in a showcase of Beijing's cutting- edge technology. Kubota, Yoko; Huang, Raffaele.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 21 Apr 2025: A9.