TECH

Chinese-Built Robot Wins Beijing Half-Marathon

Published: Apr. 20, 2026 2:16 p.m. GMT+8

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Humanoid robot Lightning runs a half-marathon in Beijing on April 19. Photo: VCG

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone-maker Honor Device Co. Ltd. broke the world record for the half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday, in a show of China’s technological leaps in embodied artificial intelligence.

The autonomously navigated winning humanoid, named Lightning, completed the 21-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds — significantly faster than the human world record holder, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race.

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Honor's Lightning robot won Beijing half-marathon (21km) in 50:26, faster than human record (57 min).
>100 robots participated (40% autonomous, up from 20 last year); prior winner took 2:40:42.
Uses smartphone-derived tech (400Nm torque, dual batteries); Honor eyes 3-5 year AI ecosystem.

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Who’s Who

Honor Device Co. Ltd.: Honor Device Co. Ltd. developed humanoid robot Lightning, which set a half-marathon world record in Beijing, completing 21km in 50:26—faster than the human record. Leveraging smartphone expertise, it features dual-battery hot-swapping, 400Nm motor torque, durable folding-phone hinges, and advanced cooling. Formed a year ago, the team ran 40,000 tests over 3,000km. Plans a six-layer embodied AI ecosystem in 3-5 years. (72 words)

Unitree Robotics: Unitree Robotics was among the companies whose humanoid robots participated in the Beijing half-marathon, with over 100 robots competing (up from 20 last year) alongside thousands of humans. About 40% finished autonomously.

Noetix Robotics: Noetix Robotics was one of the companies whose humanoid robots participated in the Beijing half-marathon, joining over 100 robots from various firms racing alongside thousands of humans.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s mapping platform Amap showcased an autonomous robot guide dog at the half-marathon finish line, capable of navigating city environments without preset routes. Alibaba previously focused on software, releasing its RynnBrain AI foundation model in February.

BridgeDP Robotics: BridgeDP Robotics, a Chinese firm developing motion systems for robots, has a rapidly growing client base as large companies enter robot manufacturing. CEO Shang Yangxing attributes Honor's half-marathon win to hardware engineering and investment, not breakthroughs, and stresses future focus on generalization across varied environments.

Shoucheng Holdings Ltd.: Kang Yu, general manager of the board office at Shoucheng Holdings Ltd., told Caixin that robotics hardware thresholds are low, making big tech entry inevitable. Honor has supply chain edges, but challenges lie in motion control and large-model software. She warns of overheated startup valuations and urges focus on genuine commercial viability over unprofitable orders.

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