BEIJING—In a scene ripped straight from a sci-fi novel, humanoid robots laced up alongside human athletes at the Beijing Half-Marathon this weekend, marking a surreal milestone in the race to bridge artificial intelligence and human physicality. The event, dubbed the "Future Run," saw bipedal machines powered by lithium-ion batteries sprinting (or shuffling) alongside flesh-and-blood runners in a 13.1-mile test of endurance, sparking debates about the limits of robotics—and what it means to be human.
Organized by the Beijing Robotics Institute and the China Athletics Association, the marathon aimed to showcase advancements in bipedal locomotion and energy efficiency. Over 30 humanoid robots from Chinese tech giants like Unitree, Xiaomi, and UBTECH competed, their joints whirring and sensors scanning the tree-lined course. While human runners relied on glycogen and grit, the robots leaned on algorithms, electric actuators, and battery packs strapped to their torsos. The result? A mixed bag of triumph, mechanical meltdowns, and existential awe.
"Watching a robot stumble over a pothole or high-five a spectator mid-race—it’s equal parts hilarious and terrifying," said spectator Li Wei, who filmed one bot waving at the crowd before tripping over its own feet. "You forget they’re machines until they glitch."
Watch the surreal race highlights here.
The robots’ performance varied wildly. Some models, like Unitree’s H1, completed the course in just under two hours—a far cry from the human winner’s 1:06 finish but impressive for a machine. Others sputtered out midway, their batteries drained or joints overheated. One Xiaomi CyberRunner famously paused at a water station, attempting to grab a cup before short-circuiting. "It’s like watching toddlers learn to walk, but at 10 kilometers per hour," joked robotics engineer Zhang Lin, whose team debugged their bot live via tablet.
The event underscored a critical challenge in humanoid robotics: energy density. While elite marathoners burn roughly 2,600 calories (about 3 kilowatt-hours), even the most advanced robots guzzled battery power equivalent to 10 kWh—enough to charge a Tesla twice. "Muscles are still nature’s masterpiece," said Dr. Elena Park, a biomechanics expert observing the race. "Human efficiency is unmatched. These robots? They’re toddlers with jetpacks."
Yet the marathon hinted at a future where robots could complement humans in extreme environments. "Imagine disaster zones or lunar colonies," said UBTECH’s CEO, Zhou Jian. "Today’s stumbles are tomorrow’s breakthroughs."
Not everyone’s convinced. "This is a PR stunt," argued AI ethicist Dr. Raj Patel. "Bipedal robots are cool, but why force them into human-shaped boxes? Wheels are more efficient." Still, the crowd’s cheers for both species—er, entities—suggested a shared fascination.
As the last robot crossed the finish line, its joints steaming in the autumn chill, one question lingered: Will future races see robots outpace us, or will biology keep its crown? For now, the answer lies somewhere between a battery’s buzz and a heartbeat’s thud.