The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town) will organize the world’s inaugural human-robot half-marathon foot race this April. The race will include 12,000 participants with robots from more than 20 companies running across 13 miles of distance. The robotic competitors need to be bipedal with a height range from 1.5 to 6.5 feet and must have a humanoid shape that enables them to walk or run.
The upcoming race marks the first official competition between humans and robots, yet humanoid robots have already participated in athletic events throughout China. During Beijing’s Yizhuang half-marathon last fall, the bipedal robot Tiangong showed up unexpectedly. The robot Tiangong completed a 100-meter distance at a slow speed yet received a participation medal.
The upcoming E-Town event marks Tiangong’s return to competition as its updated system allows it to maintain speeds of 10 kilometers per hour. RAIBO2, the robodog that finished a full marathon in South Korea last year, cannot participate because of its four-legged design.

The city of Beijing has announced plans to organize an entire robot sporting event during August. The upcoming E-Town event will host track and field races alongside football matches and multiple skill-based scenarios, although it remains unclear if American or European football rules will be used.
The E-Town half-marathon serves as a critical event to demonstrate robotics progress while bridging robotic and human interaction. These robots demonstrate the remarkable progress in humanoid robotics despite their unclear operational speed. The global audience awaits this futuristic event, which will pave the way for future groundbreaking competitions.