Robots beat human records at Beijing half-marathon

In a remarkable display of technology, a humanoid robot triumphed in a Beijing half-marathon, completing the course in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This impressive time surpasses the recent human world record of 57 minutes set by runner Jacob Kiplimo. While the comparison between human and robot speeds might raise eyebrows—one social media commentator quipped that 'my car can outrun a cheetah too'—the achievement marks a significant leap from last year's event, where the fastest robot finished in a much slower time of two hours and 40 minutes. The winning robot, designed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, showcased the rapid advancements in robotic capabilities. Interestingly, while this robot secured victory, another model from Honor managed an even faster time of 48 minutes and 19 seconds. However, that particular robot was remote-controlled, whereas the 50:26 robot operated autonomously, claiming the win based on a weighted scoring system. According to officials from Beijing’s E-Town tech hub, approximately 40% of the robots in this year's race competed autonomously, with the remaining 60% controlled remotely. Despite the impressive performances, not all robots fared well; some faced challenges, including one that fell at the starting line and another that collided with an obstacle.