At Saturday’s Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing, computers competed alongside people.
Over a 21 km ( 13 mile ) course with slopes, turns, and uneven surfaces, 21 humanoid robots, created by Chinese manufacturers, competed alongside thousands of runners.
Some computers won the race, while some struggled right from the beginning. One machine slammed into the starting area and lay straight for a while before rising and taking off.
Robots have previously competed at sports in China, but this is the first day they have done so in a half-marathon.