Honor Humanoid Robot Finishes 21.1 km Half-Marathon Course in Over 50 Minutes at Beijing Event

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor surpassed the men's record for the half-marathon on 19 April, crossing the finish line during the 2026 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon. 1-kilometre course in just over 50 minutes, completing the course in just over 50 minutes, compared to the 2 hours and 40 minutes set by the fastest robot in the 2025 inaugural event.

The robot's performance follows human athlete Sabastian Sawe's recent sub-2-hour marathon world record set last weekend.

In a separate event this month, a robot from Unitree came close to the men's 100-metre sprint record. 1 metres per second. 44 metres per second.

The second edition of the Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon, held this month, saw participation grow nearly fivefold from the previous year. 1-kilometre course as human runners. The inaugural event took place in 2025, marking the first time humans and robots competed together in such a format.

Several factors have driven the rapid progress in running robots, according to Petar Kormushev at Imperial College London. He noted a dramatic reduction in the price of components, along with the emergence of higher-quality parts such as stronger, more efficient motors that react and move quicker.

Computer chips have become faster and less power-hungry, enabling machines to run more complex control algorithms, while sensors are now smaller and more accurate.

Research indicates that robots replicating the way an emu runs are up to 300 per cent more efficient than those designed with human-like legs. New Scientist reported that neither Unitree nor Honor were available to talk about their motivations for developing these speedy robots.

The developments highlight ongoing advancements in robotics, though experts question the direct applications for such capabilities in homes or factories.