Humanoid Robots Race in Beijing

This is a little creepy, so hang on tight . . .

Putting aside for the moment all the issues about men competing in women’s sports . . . Now we have robots entering the mix.

Just a few days ago, on April 19, 2026, the second annual "Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon" took place in Beijing, China.

And there's lots of buzz (for those who are of a mind to be excited about such things), because a humanoid robot "made history" by beating the human half-marathon world record by several minutes.

Ummm . . . Is this considered to be an "accomplishment?"

For example: There are plenty of other machines that could "beat a human" in a half marathon race. Like a Ford Mustang (a car). Or a GOTRAX Eclipse (an electric scooter).

Besides, the last we heard, machines are meant to help people not compete with people! So, why would we celebrate the creation of robots that can run faster than people?

Oh well. It's a sign of the times.

[click to watch a (bizarre) video recap of the event]

Anyway, the event wasn't flawless for the bots. Several of them stumbled or veered off course, and one was even carried away on a stretcher after falling and shattering into pieces.

So, maybe there's still some hope for us humans, after all.

Maybe.

Apparently, a number of Chinese companies are pushing hard on the development of robot technologies civilian and (of course) military uses. Oh joy.

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