Beijing Hosts Historic Race with Robots and Human Athletes

China Prepares for First Half Marathon with Humans and Bipedal Robots

Beijing will host an unprecedented event on April 13: the world's first half marathon in which humans and bipedal robots will compete simultaneously. The race will bring together 12,000 human participants and a selection of advanced robots, who will have up to three and a half hours to complete the course.

To ensure safety, the robots will run on a separate track, and the top three finishers - regardless of whether they are human or machine - will be awarded prizes. In addition, the robots will compete in specific categories, such as endurance, ability to complete the race and popularity.

Organized by Beijing E-Town, the competition aims to demonstrate the advances in humanoid robotics and encourage debate about its capabilities in the real world. Only robots with human form and bipedal locomotion will be able to take part, whether they are remotely controlled or fully autonomous.

During the race, teams will be able to replace robots or change their batteries, but each change will incur a 10-minute penalty. Companies, universities and research centers from different countries will be able to register their projects, making the event a milestone in the interaction between humans and machines in sport.