A robot from China has run a half-marathon in Beijing faster than any human ever has.
The bright-red android, called Lightning, finished the 21-kilometre race on Sunday in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. It was developed by the Chinese smartphone company Honor. The time was more than six minutes quicker than the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds, which is held by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.
Lightning is a humanoid robot that stands 169 centimetres tall. Organisers said its ability to move on its own and use quick bursts of power helped it win. The robot also beat the previous robot champion by almost two hours.
This result is an important moment for China as it competes with the United States in advanced technology. China has been building up its robot industry for many years. In 2015, the government named robotics as one of 10 important sectors for improving Chinese industry. In 2023, officials called humanoid robots a new area of competition and set goals for mass production by 2025.
Robot sports events have become much more common across China. Last year, Beijing held the world’s first Humanoid Robot Games, with events such as football, boxing and martial arts. At this year’s half-marathon, more than 100 teams took part, almost five times as many as the year before.
