China is gearing up to host one of the most bizarre and futuristic races ever conceived: a half-marathon pitting 12,000 humans against a fleet of humanoid robots. This groundbreaking 21-kilometer event, set in Beijing’s Daxing district, will determine whether humans or robots reign supreme in long-distance running.

This isn’t just a spectacle or tech demo—it’s serious competition. Over 20 companies will be signing up for the competition with the their best walking robot hoping to bring home not just honor but also money-with prize money on the line for the top three finishers, whether they're flesh or metal.

The race between two legged creatures only

The race, organized by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town), enforces a strict “no wheels” policy. Only humanoid robots that walk on two legs—and resemble humans—are allowed.

The rule also dictates that eligible bots must stand between 0.5 and 2 meters tall, eliminating any possibility of giant mechs or tiny robot cars sneaking in.

The competition is fierce this year, with one of the favorites being Tiangong, developed by China’s Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center. The Tiangong Humanoid made the headlines last year when it crossed the Yizhuang Half Marathon with some of the fastest human runners. The Tiangong robot is capable of running at a top speed of 10km/h.

The American Humanoid robots seem to pale in comparison to their Chinese counterparts. The Tesla Optimus Gen-2, for example, only has a top speed of 8km/h, while Boston Dynamics' Atlas can only do 9km/h. It seems that the only American humanoid that can put up a fight is OpenAI-backed 1X NEO, who has a theoretical speed of 12 km/h.

China's fascination from humanoids

China has been leading the pack when it comes to their research and implementation of Humanoid robots in the everyday workplace. In 2023, China has installed more than 276,000 robots, accounting for more than half of the global installations, according to the International Federation of Robots. The country’s robotics industry is projected to reach 400 billion yuan by 2030.

E-Town is not just doing races and social experiments, they have already integrated robots to work in their BYD electric vehicle factories.

Following April’s half-marathon, Beijing plans to expand its competition to other sports, including everything from track and field to football. The organisation is also planning to invest 60 billion yuan in AI development this year.

The marathon is scheduled for April in Beijing, with registration open until February. Whether robots can outpace humans remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the future of sports is here, and it’s walking on two legs.