Robots went head-to-head with humans in Beijing's first humanoid half-marathon, showcasing China’s rising ambitions in AI and robotics innovation.

Beijing hosted what’s being called the world’s first humanoid half-marathon—a footrace that pitted human runners against human-like robots. While technologically impressive, the outcome of the event should reassure those who fear robots will one day overrun humanity—because it appears they won’t be outrunning us any time soon.

More than 20 two-legged robots competed in the world’s first humanoid half-marathon in China on Saturday, and – though technologically impressive – they were far from outrunning their human masters over the long distance.