A bunch of robots ran a half-marathon alongside humans and it was incredibly goofy

Beijing held what’s being called the world’s first half-marathon for robots, allowing bipedal bots to compete alongside human runners, and as one might expect, ridiculousness ensued. The robots, which had human operators running with them, for the most part struggled to make it through the course at all, let alone complete the full 13 miles within the four-hour cutoff time. “One fell at the starting line,” Bloomberg reports. “Another’s head fell off and rolled on the ground. And one collapsed and broke into pieces.” They may not be gold medalists just yet, but the videos sure are entertaining.

The humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing just started! pic.twitter.com/8vr2nXQwuR

— The Humanoid Hub (@TheHumanoidHub) April 19, 2025

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