World's First Humanoid Robot Marathon
'Tiangong' Wins 21km Race in 2 Hours and 40 Minutes
China's Robot Rise... Expected to Produce Over Half of Global Humanoid Robots
China has hosted the world's first humanoid robot marathon. In the half marathon course, which covers approximately 21 kilometers, the robot that finished first crossed the finish line in just over 2 hours and 40 minutes.
According to Chinese media such as China Daily on April 19, the world's first marathon in which humanoid robots and humans ran together was held in Yizhuang, Beijing on this day. A total of 21 humanoid robots and over 9,000 human participants took part in the event.
Among them, the robot "Tiangong Ultra" finished in first place with a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. This robot is a humanoid model with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 55 kg. Tiangong ran at a speed of 8 to 9 kilometers per hour and reportedly had its battery replaced three times during the race.
With the world's first robot marathon being held in China, there is growing attention on whether China will achieve a "robot rise" following DeepSeek. Some analysts predict that China will account for more than half of the global production of humanoid robots this year. According to a recent report by nine organizations including Leaderbot, China is expected to produce around 10,000 humanoid robots this year, worth 8.24 billion yuan (approximately 1.6 trillion won).
The robotics industry expects that, due to reduced manufacturing costs and a maturing ecosystem, 2025 will mark the first year in which China's humanoid robot industry transitions from pilot projects to large-scale commercialization. UBTech Robotics announced last month that 20 industrial humanoid robots will be deployed to the production line of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, an automobile manufacturer, during the first half of this year.
SemiAnalysis, a research and analysis institute specializing in semiconductors and AI, also stated in its report that, just as BYD surpassed Tesla in electric vehicle sales, Chinese companies have now overtaken American firms in the field of humanoid robots.
Chinese humanoid robots have already amazed the world on several occasions. Unitree's H1 showcased a highly challenging traditional group dance at this year's Spring Festival Gala. The prototype "Lingxi X2" from Agibot (Zhiyuan Robotics) demonstrated movement abilities close to those of humans, such as riding a bicycle, and drew attention for its ability to respond to human emotions.
The Chinese government is providing strong support for the humanoid industry. As with other high-tech industries, it offers subsidies, tax incentives, public-private research collaboration, and the development of industrial clusters.
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