Honor's Humanoid Robot Breaks Human Half-Marathon Record in Beijing Demonstration

On April 19 in Beijing, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone-maker Honor completed a half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo at the Lisbon Half Marathon. The 13-mile (21-kilometer) event demonstrated rapidly advancing robotic speed and autonomy as China's tech industry scales up mass production of humanoid robots for potential real-world applications. Test development engineer Du Xiaodi, speaking for the winning team to The Associated Press and other publications, explained that the robot's design incorporated long legs measuring approximately 37 inches (95 centimeters), inspired by top human athletes. Xiaodi also noted the inclusion of a custom liquid-cooling system derived from consumer electronics technology, which could be adapted for industrial use. The robot autonomously navigated the route during the demonstration, which highlighted China's growing capabilities in robotics development.