BEIJING, 5 March 2025 – History will be made on April 13, 2025, as Beijing hosts the world's first semi-marathon exclusively for humanoid robots, simultaneously with an event for human participants. This unprecedented event is set to take place at the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, where robots and humans will share the same course, albeit with robots assigned to their own secured tracks.
According to Li Quan, deputy director of the Administrative Committee of the zone, safety is of utmost priority. "The humanoids will run on separate tracks secured by barriers or green belts to safeguard both humans and robots," he stated during the press briefing.
The competition has established a completion time limit of approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes for the robotic entrants. Teams will need to be strategic as they are allowed to replace the robots or change batteries during the relay-style race, which means the event could require careful planning to minimize time lost. "Teams will be allowed to replace batteries or change robots according to the relay format to finish the race," Li Quan added.
Each robot competing must demonstrate humanoid characteristics and be capable of bipedal movement, effectively ruling out wheeled machines. Control methods permitted include remote control, which may be semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous operation. This competition reflects the rapidly advancing field of robotics, and offers teams from around the globe – including robotics companies, research institutions, and universities – the opportunity to showcase their innovative designs.
There will also be repercussions for robot replacements; each substitution will incur a 10-minute penalty, which emphasizes the importance of efficient teamwork and the engineering behind the robots. "Final evaluations will be based on completion time alongside the number of replacements utilized," Li noted.
The prizes for the competition are set to be noteworthy, with the top three finishers receiving sums of 5,000, 4,000, and 3,000 yuan, which translates approximately to 697, 558, and 418 U.S. dollars, respectively. Alongside these rewards, additional accolades will be granted for achievements such as the best endurance and the most creative robot design. "Special rewards will honor the most innovative humanoid robot development teams," Li Quan emphasized.
This event is not just about competition but also aims to highlight the technological advancements and the future of robotics within the sporting domain. Robotics has been weaving itself increasingly through various sectors, and this semi-marathon offers the perfect platform to exhibit these innovations. Previously, robots participated at the 2024 Town-Town Half Marathon, encouraging human runners along the course.
Beijing is setting its ambitions high, planning not only the humanoid robot semi-marathon but also aiming to organize the World Humanoid Robot Games leading up to the World Robot Conference 2025. This perspective emphasizes not just the local but also the global significance of robotics, where innovation meets competition.
Li concluded the announcement with optimism for the event's future impact, underlining the importance of merging competitive sports with technological advancement, laying groundwork for more integrated robotics events going forward.