new video loaded: Robot Finishes Half Marathon Faster Than Human World Record
<img alt="A bright-red 5-foot-5 humanoid robot strides on a road in Beijing." src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/04/19/multimedia/19xp-robot-gwcj/19xp-robot-gwcj-threeByTwoMediumAt2X.jpg?auto=webp&quality=75" data-testid="betamax-poster" sizes="(width < 1024px) 100vw, (width
A humanoid robot named Lightning ran a half-marathon race in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds — faster than the human world record for the distance.
By Christina Kelso and Zach Wasser
April 19, 2026
