In April 2025, the world will witness an unprecedented event in Beijing when it hosts the first-ever human-robot half-marathon. This electrifying occasion, in the words of one of its proponents, promises to "blur the lines between human endurance and robotic innovation."

Humanoid forms are required of all participants. They must also be bipedal and stand upright—ranging in height from 0.5 to 2.0 meters. Eligible competitors may be either remote-controlled or autonomous, and all are allowed to change batteries during the race.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers—humans or robots—by the contest organizer. Companies, research institutes, robot clubs, and universities will participate in the marathon with their humanoid robots.

A highlight of the event will be the debut of the humanoid robot ‘Tiangong’ in the competition. Previously, ‘Tiangong’ ran in the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing.

This event, with almost 12,000 human runners, will test the limits of humanoid robotics and human-robot interaction. Both will have to navigate a course through the kind of obstacles a real marathon runner might encounter, and both will be judged on the margin of error that defines a step in the right direction!