A robot breaks the human semi-marathon record!

This is a pivotal moment in the history of sports robotics, where a machine has outperformed a human athlete.

This weekend, at the Beijing half-marathon, a humanoid robot crossed the finish line in a time that now surpasses the best human level globally. This unprecedented performance further blurs the line between mechanical capabilities and biological performance.

The winning robot, designed by the Chinese company Honor, completed the 21.1 kilometers of the course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, according to the organizers. This time is significantly better than the human world record, set at around 57 minutes and 20 seconds by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.

At the starting line, humans and machines operated on separate paths but shared the same event, held in Beijing’s technology zone. Nearly a hundred teams of robots participated, with varying levels of autonomy, some humanoids being remotely controlled while others operated completely autonomously.

What is left for humans?

The performance of the winning robot stands in stark contrast to that observed during last year’s inaugural edition of this event, where the best humanoid took over 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the course. The technological leap is therefore considerable, both in terms of locomotion, stability, and energy management.

However, the race was not without incidents. Several robots fell at the start, others veered off their trajectory or collapsed before the finish line. Technical teams were following the machines on scooters or light vehicles for quick intervention.

Beyond the athletic performance, this feat primarily illustrates a dramatic acceleration in embodied artificial intelligence advancements. Engineers already see future applications in logistics, interventions in hostile environments, and industrial assistance.

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This Beijing half-marathon not only sets a record: it opens a new era where human performance is no longer the sole reference for long-distance speed.

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