The race, scheduled for 19/4, will take place at the Beijing E-Town technology park, with the finish line set at Nanhaizi Park. Organizers confirmed that more than 300 humanoid robots and athletes will compete on the same course.

The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot finished first in last year's humanoid robot half marathon. *Photo: Reuters*

In the robot category, more than 300 humanoid robots will compete, representing at least 100 teams from businesses and universities, including at least one team from Hong Kong. This figure marks a five-fold increase from last year.

Participating humanoid robots must be independent devices, featuring a torso, arms, and two legs. They must also stand taller than 70 cm and primarily move bipedally.

The robot race features two categories: autonomous and remote-controlled, with combined timing used for overall ranking. Autonomous robots must complete the course independently; intervention is permitted only for battery or robot replacement, or if they fall and cannot self-right, requiring referee approval. Remote-controlled robots, conversely, are operated by team members from accompanying vehicles or a central control hub.

For the human category, organizers provided 12,000 slots but received over 32,000 registrations from 27 countries and territories.

In a new development, robots will serve as pacers for athletes. Additionally, a "service robot" program has been introduced, allowing robots to perform various roles, including: demonstrations, course clearing, and assisting with food service during the event.

The Tiangong humanoid robot serving as a pacer at the Yizhuang Half Marathon on 10/11/2024. *Photo: China Focus*

Last year's event featured the world's inaugural robot half marathon. The Tiangong Ultra robot from the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center secured victory with a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes, 42 seconds, significantly slower than the men's champion, who finished in 1 hour, 2 minutes.

Beyond performance, the event was notable for its "laugh-or-cry" moments. Several robots malfunctioned shortly after the start: one lost its head but continued running due to its balancing algorithm, while another ran so fast that its technical team had to pursue it on a tricycle.

One small robot fell and remained motionless for several minutes before self-restarting and standing up to loud cheers. Another robot, propeller-driven and resembling a Transformer, unexpectedly veered off course, crashed into a barrier, and knocked over an engineer.

Hong Duy (according to SCMP)