Sentinel Digital Desk
China is set to host the world's first marathon featuring both humans and robots in April. The half-marathon, taking place in Beijing’s Daxing district, will see 12,000 human runners competing alongside advanced humanoid robots in a 21 km race.
The marathon will award prizes to the top three finishers, whether human or robot. Organised by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town), the event aims to showcase the latest in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Robots from over 20 companies will take part. They must have a humanoid form, walk or run on two legs, and meet size requirements—ranging from 0.5 to 2 meters in height, with a minimum leg extension of 0.45 meters.
Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous robots will compete. Operators can replace batteries if needed during the race, ensuring fair competition between the machines and human athletes.
One of the most anticipated robots is "Tiangong," developed by China’s Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center. With a running speed of 10 km per hour, Tiangong previously ran alongside humans but will now compete in the full marathon for the first time.