The “robot-only” division of the Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon on Sunday, April 19, saw humanoid robots attempt a full 21.1km course alongside humans. While Chinese smartphone maker Honor’s Lightning robot took first place with record-breaking speed,

For the second year in a row, robotic runners challenged thousands of their human counterparts in the Chinese capital on Sunday, with the machines seizing the victory in the 21-kilometre race.

While the approximately 5-foot-5 Lightning crashed into a barricade and fell during its final stretch, it was able to pick itself back up with help from humans, swing its short forearms to rebalance, ...