China hosted the world’s first humanoid half-marathon on Saturday, with over 20 two-legged robots running alongside 12,000 humans in Beijing.

While the robots impressed with their endurance, they lagged far behind human runners, with the fastest robot, Tiangong Ultra, finishing in 2 hours and 40 minutes—almost two hours slower than the human winner.

The event showcased China’s growing advances in humanoid robotics, a field it sees as a key area for future growth, CNN has reported.

Most robots needed human handlers or support, and some required battery swaps, highlighting the tech’s early stage despite rapid progress.

Written by B.C. Begley