Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon set for April 2026

BEIJING -- Beijing E-Town will host humanoid robot half-marathon on April 19, 2026, following the world's first edition in 2025, the Information Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality said Thursday.

The E-Town half-marathon will be held simultaneously. Robots will follow the same route as human runners, but on separate tracks, separated by guardrail fences or median strips.

The humanoid robot half-marathon will feature an autonomous navigation group and a remote control group.

The race will introduce special awards including the "best endurance award" to encourage energy efficiency, "most beautiful gait award" for natural and human-like movement, "best design award" focusing on bionic hand design and facial expressions, and "best perception award" rewarding real-time environmental adaptation.

Along the course, diverse services such as robot cheerleading squads, route guidance, trash collection, and performances and interactions will be provided, promoting the upgrade of robots from "competition tools" to "service partners."

The event aims to attract overseas teams, fostering international collaboration in robotics technology, said Liang Liang, deputy director of the administrative committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. "The event will translate technical gaps identified during the race into real-world industrial solutions."

The upgrade builds on lessons from the inaugural humanoid robot marathon in 2025, which accelerated innovations in joint stability and fast battery swapping.

On April 19, 2025, Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, clocked two hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds, winning this historic 21.0975-kilometer race among 20 competing teams. Meanwhile, Ethiopian runners won both the men's and women's half-marathons.