China will be hosting the world's first marathon, with both humans and robots competing together for the very first time. Scheduled to take place this spring in Beijing's Daxing district, this interesting race is scheduled for a total of 21 kilometers between the humanoid robots and the human contestants totaling about 12,000 people. The marathon is part of China's push to be the world's leader in artificial intelligence and robotics, further securing China's position in this years-long technology competition with the United States.

Organized by E-Town, the administration committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, the event will witness participation from more than 20 companies with robots close to human forms. These robotic machines will be racing against humans in a race touted to be fascinating and futuristic as well. The race will feature humanoid robots from companies, research institutes, robotics clubs, and universities from across the world.

For a robot to qualify, certain requirements need to be met. The robots are required to be human-like and must walk or run on two legs and not on wheels. The robots have a height that ranges from 0.5 meters to 2 meters, and their mechanical body must be suitable for the robots to make a motion action in running or walking. Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous robots will be allowed in the race, and battery replacements during the event will be permitted.

China holds a significant lead in robot installations and, in 2023, accounted for more than half of the world's total robot installations. In addition to these tasks, robots are being adopted to help the elderly monitor their health and for companionship while improving productivity levels in factories. This is just one instance of how China has ambitious plans for the introduction of robotics in daily life and various industries.