During the inaugural humanoid half-marathon in China, 21 two-legged robot competitors suffered technical breakdowns, dramatically falling behind human runners and highlighting current limits of robotics in endurance racing.

Spectators expecting a technological takeover saw robotic runners crippled by malfunctions, with frequent stumbles and shutdowns underscoring the unpredictable reality behind the headline. The humanoid half-marathon debut truly exposed how far robots must go before they outpace humans.