Robots pacing distance races
China demonstrated robotic pacers at events like the Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon — AI‑driven robots using sensors to hold steady splits — signaling a tech push that could reach major marathons and Olympic prep. (english.news.cn)
Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won the robot category at the Yizhuang event, crossing the finish in about 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds and measuring roughly 1.8 meters tall and 55 kilograms. (english.beijing.gov.cn)) Organizers fielded roughly 20–21 humanoid entrants in the Yizhuang runs, and independent reporting noted that only six of those robots completed the full 21‑km course. (tech.yahoo.com)) On performance, the Tiangong series maintained a running speed in the 7–8 km/h range during the half‑marathon, while separate four‑legged pacer robots previously used at the Hangzhou Marathon held about a 9:24 min/km pace with reported top speeds up to 6 m/s. (english.news.cn)) Race organizers have scheduled an expanded "man‑machine co‑running" format for April 19, 2026, and outlined separate competition categories for autonomous‑navigation robots and a remote‑control group that would be penalized with a 1.2× time coefficient. (news.futunn.com)) Event coverage and team statements stressed the engineering dimension: control and navigation crews ran alongside machines during demos, and officials likened the competitions to race‑car style engineering contests because of the reliance on real‑time tuning and support teams. (english.news.cn)) Organizers and journalists also documented public test runs and footage showing instability in many entrants, prompting continued iterative trials ahead of the 2026 upgrade—test runs were staged in mid‑March 2026 as teams refined balance and navigation systems. (globaltimes.cn))
