Twenty-one humanoid robots took to the streets of Beijing to join thousands of runners for the world's first man-vs-machine half-marathon but some struggled to cross the finish line.
The robots from Chinese manufacturers took part in the 21-kilometre event in Yizhuang and came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120cm and others as tall as 1.8m.
Human runners lined the roadside, phones in hand ready to photograph each machine as they began taking their first steps.
Around 20 teams from across China participated and while some robots completed the race, others struggled from the beginning.
One smaller-sized android fell over and lay on the ground for several minutes, before getting up by itself to loud cheers.
Another, powered by propellers, veered across the starting line before crashing into a barrier and knocking over an engineer.
Some firms tested their robots for weeks before the race. Beijing officials have described the event as more akin to a race car competition, given the need for engineering and navigation teams.
One company boasted that its robot looked almost human, with feminine features and the ability to wink and smile.
At 180 centimetres tall and weighing 52 kilograms, the metallic black 'Tiangong Ultra' was the first robot to finish completing the race in two hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds
One smaller-sized android fell over and lay on the ground for several minutes, before getting up by itself to loud cheers
Another, powered by propellers, veered across the starting line before crashing into a barrier and knocking over an engineer
Crossing the finish line first despite a mid-race fall was the tallest droid and one of the heaviest in the competition.
At 180 centimetres tall and weighing 52 kilograms, the metallic black 'Tiangong Ultra' finished in two hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.
The men's and women's winners, both from Ethiopia, finished in one hour, two minutes and 36 seconds, and in one hour, 11 minutes and seven seconds respectively, according to state media. Robots and human participants ran on separate tracks.
Tang Jian, chief technology officer of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center which developed 'Tiangong', told reporters the company was 'very happy with the results'.
'We had set three goals for ourselves: first, to win the championship; second, to complete the entire half marathon with a single robot - a very important goal for us; and third, to finish the race in under three hours,' he said.
'We collected real-world running data from professional athletes and trained the robot so that its gait, cadence, stride length, and various postures could match those of professional runners as closely as possible.'
The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, first established by the government, is now owned by Chinese tech firms Xiaomi Robotics and UBTech Robotics as well as two state-owned companies, according to business data provider Tianyancha.
One spectator Huang Xiaoyu who was there with her child said: 'My daughter... got up really early and asked to come watch the robot marathon.
The crew of a robot reacts as the robot loses control at the start during the humanoid Robot Half-Marathon
Engineers run with a humanoid robot as it participates along with human runners
Spectators watch four legged robot performance after the race
A humanoid robot starts with technicians as they compete in the Beijing E-town Half-Marathon
A humanoid robot starts with technicians as they compete at the Yizhuang half-marathon
Crossing the finish line first despite a mid-race fall was the tallest droid and one of the heaviest in the competition
Tang Jian, chief technology officer of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center which developed 'Tiangong', told reporters the company was 'very happy with the results'
'It was quite a breathtaking experience - we were able to see some of the most cutting-edge robots in our country.'
Some of the robots jogged autonomously, while others were guided remotely by their engineers.
'Getting onto the race track might seem like a small step for humans, but it's a giant leap for humanoid robots,'said Liang Liang, Beijing E-Town's management committee deputy director.
Engineers said the goal was to test the performance and reliability of the androids - emphasising that finishing the race, not winning it, was the main objective.
Cui Wenhao, a 28-year-old engineer at Noetix Robotics said: 'There are very few opportunities for the whole industry to run at full speed over such a long distance or duration.
'It's a serious test for the battery, the motors, the structure - even the algorithms.'
Kong Yichang, a 25-year-old engineer from DroidUp, said the race would help to 'lay a foundation for a whole series of future activities involving humanoid robots'.
China, the world's second-largest economy, has sought to assert its dominance in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics, positioning itself as a direct challenger to the United States.
Robots and human participants ran on separate tracks
People watch on as one of the robots participates in the half-marathon
A N2 robot developed by Noetix Robotics crosses the finish line and wins second place
Some of the robots jogged autonomously, while others were guided remotely by their engineers
A female Humanoid robot is assisted by support technicians as it starts the race
In January, Chinese start-up DeepSeek drew attention with a chatbot it claimed was developed more cost-effectively than its US counterparts.
Dancing humanoid robots also captivated audiences during a televised Chinese New Year gala.
Although humanoid robots have made appearances at marathons in China over the past year, this is the first time they have raced alongside humans.
China is hoping that investment in frontier industries like robotics can help create new engines of economic growth.
Some analysts, though, question whether having robots enter marathons is a reliable indicator of their industrial potential.
Alan Fern, professor of computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics at Oregon State University, said contrary to claims from Beijing officials that such a race requires 'AI breakthroughs', the software enabling humanoid robots to run was developed and demonstrated more than five years ago.
'Chinese companies have really focused on showing off walking, running, dancing, and other feats of agility.
'Generally, these are interesting demonstrations, but they don't demonstrate much regarding the utility of useful work or any type of basic intelligence,' Fern said.
