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Winner of Beijing robot half-marathon smashes human world record by 6 minutes

The Lightning humanoid developed by Chinese firm Honor competed against more than 100 other robots and thousands of much-slower humans.

Published: 11:55am, 20 Apr 2026Updated: 11:55am, 20 Apr 2026

The winner of a robot half-marathon held in Beijing on April 20, 2026, smashed the human world record by more than six minutes in the latest display of the industry’s rapid development. The humanoid device, known as Lightning, was developed by the Chinese smartphone and gadget company Honor, which only entered the sector last year.

(Photo: Reuters)

Winner of Beijing robot half-marathon smashes human world record by 6 minutes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Lightning humanoid developed by Chinese firm Honor competed against more than 100 other robots and thousands of much-slower humans.

The Lightning humanoid developed by Chinese firm Honor competed against more than 100 other robots and thousands of much-slower humans.