A humanoid robot developed by Honor has gained global attention after winning a half-marathon robot race in Beijing, posting a time that breaks the human world record for the distance. Held in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone (E-Town), the event highlights China’s accelerating progress in robotics and artificial intelligence.
The winning robot completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This time is significantly faster than the current human half-marathon world record held by Jacob Kiplim, who ran the distance in around 57 minutes at the Lisbon Road Race in March 2026.
A separate robot from Honor, controlled by remote control, crossed the finish line even faster in 48 minutes and 19 seconds. However, under the competition’s weighted scoring system – which prioritized autonomy – a fully autonomous robot took first place.
A significant improvement over the previous year
The 2026 race showed a dramatic improvement over the inaugural event in 2025, where the winning robot clocked a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds. This year’s results represent a significant leap in both speed and operational efficiency.
Autonomy vs remote control
About 40% of the participating robots navigated the course autonomously, while the remaining machines relied on human remote control. The second-place robots, also developed by Honor and working autonomously, finished in 51 minutes and 53 minutes, respectively.
The competition format emphasized real robotic capabilities, including navigation, obstacle avoidance and endurance – key benchmarks for future deployments in logistics, emergency response and urban services.
Challenges during the race
Despite the impressive results, the competition was not without obstacles. Some robots encountered operational difficulties: one fell on the line, while another crashed into a barrier during the race. These incidents underscore the ongoing challenges in achieving fully reliable humanoid mobility in dynamic environments.
